Corporators allege irregularities in BMC projects, demand special house discussion

BJP corporator Makarand Narwekar raised the issue of decorative LED illumination on Mumbai’s 13 skywalks during a meeting, alleging massive financial irregularities in the ₹63-crore beautification project.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) department faces sharp scrutiny after corporators across party lines alleged irregularities, inflated expenditure, tender manipulation, and poor maintenance in major civic projects during standing committee meetings. .

Mumbai: Dharavi - Mahim Skywalk Story photo, at Dharavi, in Mumbai on Thursday, 17 May 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande)

On May 6, BJP corporator Makarand Narwekar raised the issue of decorative LED illumination on Mumbai’s 13 skywalks during a meeting, alleging massive financial irregularities in the ₹63-crore beautification project. Narwekar alleged that LED strips similar to those installed are available on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for around ₹650 per metre, while the effective project cost was around ₹96,923 per running metre.

“The tender specifications meant for advanced kinetic colour lighting systems were later diluted to allow the use of cheaper and inferior technology while retaining inflated project estimates.The tender favoured select participants,” Narwekar told HT. “Several lights stopped functioning within weeks, and many skywalks are currently dark despite the huge expenditure.”

Narwekar demanded an inquiry into the project. Agreeing with Narwekar, NCP corporator Dr Saeeda Khan said that the department issues tenders without planning long-term maintenance, which results in the widespread non-functionality of installations shortly after execution.

Joining the bandwagon, Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Sachin Padwal wrote to BMC chief Ashwini Bhide on May 7, raising concerns about a tender floated by the M&E department to procure essential materials for the ₹7-8 crore CSSD project at Cooper Hospital.

According to Padwal, the procurement process had allegedly not been completed, despite a proposed monthly provision of nearly ₹6 lakh for consumables. “How has the system continued functioning for nearly a year and a half without the necessary materials?” Padwal questioned.

Amid the allegations, Shiv Sena leader in the BMC, Amey Ghole, demanded a special general body meeting to discuss the functioning and accountability of the M&E department.

A white paper on the M&E department is expected to be tabled in the standing committee within a fortnight.