Mumbai: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was formed to probe the alleged financial misappropriations in the BMC during Covid-19 period exposed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), has sped up their inquiry process. According to the BMC officer, SIT has sent around 150 summons to the BMC officers pertaining to inquiry and among them are 50-60 engineers. Every day around 10-12 officers, including engineers, are attending SIT office to co-operate with the probe.
BMC officers frightened: Sources
A senior officer told the FPJ that after getting summons from SIT, the BMC officers were frightened. Even highly qualified doctors are being called for the inquiry, the officer added. Officers of health, development plan (DP), solid waste management (SWM), bridges, roads improvement and IT department are being called every day for the inquiry.
Last week, SIT summoned Deputy Commissioner Ramakant Biradar, who was the head of Central Purchase Department (CPD) during the covid 19 period.
As per the High Court order, the civic body has to purchase medical-related equipment only through CPD. SIT has registered a first information report (FIR)against the buying of body bags at exorbitant prices by the BMC officers and Biradar is being called for the same case. Another officer said, There were four to five summons issued to Biradar in different cases.
According to officers, who are attending the inquiry, it is very painful for the doctors and officers to face the inquiry. They had put their lives at stake during the pandemic. Many employees died while serving the citizens.
The civic agency suppressed three waves of Covid-19. The standing committee had given powers to the BMC officers to allot work without inviting tenders because at that time no newspaper was published and distributed in houses. On September 30, 2022, Shinde directed CAG to investigate all contracts and transactions in the BMC during the pandemic. The CAG submitted a report to the government, which Fadnavis put forth in the state assembly in March this year. The report alleged irregularities worth thousands of crores in several contracts given by the civic body during the pandemic.
