Mumbai: One of the prime reasons for the shoddy state of Mumbai's roads is the failure of BMC engineers' failure to take action against contractors who carry out substandard work. And the reason why these engineers do not do their job is that they are comfortably ensconced in their posts for several years in gross violation of BMC norms. Said a senior BMC official: "As per BMC rules no engineer can be in the same post for more than three years."
However, a reply from the BMC's road department to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by an activist Prashant Thakur revealed the shocking fact that as many as 85 engineers are overstaying in their posts. Of these 55 engineers are posted in the western suburbs while 30 are in the eastern suburbs.
Thakur alleged that the contractors themselves manage senior officials and ensure that their "favourite" engineers are not moved out of their posts. Since these engineers are obliged to the contractors they do not pull them up for compromising on quality. Some of the engineers have been in their posts since 2016 making a total mockery of civic regulations.
Additional municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar, who is in charge of the roads department, told FPJ on Thursday that "I'll take factual information and ask the establishment to take necessary action as per policy." It is reliably learnt that the BMC's vigilance department has already red flagged the scam.
