Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A fresh corruption controversy has surfaced in the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), with serious irregularities alleged in a drain-covering project in which officials claimed the use of over 16,000 kg of iron to clear a contractor’s bill of more than Rs 13 lakh.
Official records claim that more than 16,000 kilograms (16.139 tonnes) of iron were used to construct a reinforced cement concrete (RCC) cover over a drain measuring just 240 metres in length, raising serious doubts over the authenticity of the measurements and billing.
The case pertains to Ward 53 under Zone 13 of the Govindpura Assembly constituency, specifically in the Krishna Arcade and Vaishnav Complex areas of BHEL Sangam colony. The drain in question is approximately 240 metres long and about three feet wide. Despite its modest size, the measurement book maintained by the engineers shows an unusually high consumption of steel.
According to BMC records, the in-charge Assistant Engineer Nishant Tiwari and Sub-Engineer Rupankan Verma documented the use of 16,139 kg of iron for the project. The total cost of the drain construction stands at approximately Rs 13.34 lakh. The work order (No. 2400032045) was issued by the Civil Department on June 25, 2025, and the construction was completed recently.
Core cutting for ‘missing iron’
The matter has now reached BMC Commissioner Sanskriti Jain, who taking a serious note of the allegations, has ordered core cutting of the RCC structure to scientifically verify whether such a large quantity of iron was actually used in the drain covering. The investigation teams are also reportedly trying to trace the so-called “missing iron.”
EE under scanner
Serious questions are also being raised about the role of the in-charge Executive Engineer, Brijesh Kaushal. It is alleged that he failed to monitor the project altogether and did not visit the site even once during construction. Despite a notice being issued on December 5 and a site inspection conducted on December 8, he is accused of withholding the core cutting report.
Officials speak
Speaking to Free Press, AE Nishant Tiwari said that the core cutting report was prepared on time and submitted to Executive Engineer Kaushal. However, repeated attempts to contact Kaushal for his response on the allegations were unsuccessful.
BMC Superintendent Engineer and in-charge of the Govindpura Assembly constituency, Subodh Jain, told Free Press that EE Kaushal has not yet submitted any report and thatfurther action will be taken as per the directions of the BMC Commissioner.
