The allegations of corruption by the BJP in the operation of Mulund Covid Centre on Tuesday forced the Standing Committee to refer the Rs 20 crore expenditure proposal back to the BMC Commissioner.
The BJP alleged corruption in the running of Mulund Jumbo Covid Centre and demanded all details of the expenditure at the Standing Committee meeting. According to BJP corporators, the city has been fighting against COVID-19 infections for more than a year and the corporation has spent crores of rupees on protecting citizens, BMC employees and provision of medical infrastructure and medicines. However, the BMC administration has never revealed any details about the expenditure.
The issue was raised in the standing Committee meeting on Tuesday. Two proposals worth Rs.18.80 crore and Rs 1.83 crore were on the agenda for its approval. According to the proposal, Rs 20.63 crore was spent on a Jumbo Covid Center set up in the premises of Richardson and Cruddas company near JJ Hospital within a year. In December 2020, the BMC standing Committee had given powers to BMC administration to spend money without approval of standing committee to fight against COVID-19 and accordingly the money was spent.
Congress Group leader Ravi Raja expressed his displeasure with the expenditure. "Situation of Corona is not as severe as compared to last year. So the expenditure also needs to be re-assessed. Instead of giving Rs. 12.50 lakh rent per day to a company, the BMC could have constructed its own long lasting Jumbo Covid Centre," he said.
Prabhakar Shinde, BJP Group Leader asked, "Mulund Covid Centre was built by CIDCO and handed over to BMC, but then why BMC took possession and spent Rs 10.50 crore as rent on the center?” He also alleged that the administration didn't take suggestions from auditors before spending money on Covid 19.
Bhalchandra Shirsat, BJP Corporator, alleged "There are only five patients in the Mulund Jumbo Covid Center and 75 security guards are working there. Now time has come to assess the requirements."
After hearing objections, the Standing Committee chairman, Yashwant Jadhav sent the proposal back to BMC commissioner and sought answers on all the queries raised by corporators at the next standing committee meeting.
