Maharashtra Govt Forms SIT To Probe Rs 12,024 Cr Graft In Mumbai Civic Body From 2019-22

According to ANI, earlier in March, State Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tabled a CAG report on this matter in the Maharashtra Assembly.

New Delhi: The Maharashtra government agreed to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) Committee on Monday to probe the alleged financial irregularities amounting to Rs 12,024 crores in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during recent years. The committee consists of the Joint Commissioner Of Police, Mumbai and two senior officers, reported news agency ANI.

Notably, the development came after The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India pointed out irregularities worth Rs 12,024 Crores in the expenses incurred by the BMC between November 2019 and October 2022. BJP MLA Amit Satam had also made a formal complaint with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde demanding an SIT probe into the matter.

According to the CAG report, the audit exposed a scam of Rs 12,000 crore in 76 works undertaken by nine departments of the BMC, reported India Today.

According to ANI, earlier in March, State Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tabled a CAG report on this matter in the Maharashtra Assembly. Several irregularities were mentioned by the CAG in the report.

He alleged, "The administration of the municipality is completely opaque and corrupt. This report is only about the work of ₹ 12,000 crores but the whole work will reveal more shocking things."

The report stated that apart from irregularities during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was found in the inquiry that 20 works were awarded without tender in two separate departments.

These irregularities have been brought to the notice of the state Urban Development for necessary remedial action to eliminate malfeasance and to improve the overall performance of BMC in order to ensure integrity in the use of public funds, the CAG report said. 

Following Fadnavis' comments, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray had said that the Maharashtra government should conduct a CAG inquiry in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, and Pune municipalities.

Earlier in February, BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya had hit out at BMC and said he was exposing BMC's "COVID ki KAMAI". He also alleged corruption in procuring Remdisivir injections during the Covid-19 pandemic.