Probe in BMC expenditure: SIT questions former SS (UBT) corporator for 9 hrs

Parab was former chairman of the improvements committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which cleared the controversial Dahisar land deal, despite opposition from the municipal commissioner

Mumbai: The Mumbai police Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged irregularities of ₹12,024 crore in civic expenditure questioned former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Sadanand Parab for nine hours on Friday.

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Parab was former chairman of the improvements committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which cleared the controversial Dahisar land deal, despite opposition from the municipal commissioner.

A senior official of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), who is part of the SIT, said, “We questioned him for nine hours on several things to get clarity why the land deal was approved despite opposition from the commissioner.”

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) special report on BMC had said that a land measuring 32,395 square metres acquired by the BMC at Eksar Village in Dahisar was overvalued by ₹206 crore. The land was reserved for setting up public facilities in 1993, said an EOW officer.

The special report has pointed out that a delay of eight years in acquisition of the land for public purposes had led to an increase in the cost of the acquisition by over 716%. The proposal was moved in 2011, it was eventually acquired in February 2020.

“The special report of CAG had observed that the then municipal commissioner had proposed to not go ahead with the acquisition of the land as it was encroached but this was overruled by the Improvement Committee that was headed by Parab a corporator from K East Ward in November, 2019, and the general body of the BMC in January, 2020,” said the officer. According to the CAG report, the cost of the acquisition was overvalued due to incorrect application of rates.

The decision of the general body to acquire the land was imprudent and the possibility of interested parties manipulating the decision-making process for unscrupulous gains could not be ruled out, said the report.

“The civic body also incurred an additional financial liability of ₹77.8 crore on account of cost of rehabilitation. The civic body moved a proposal in August 2011, for acquisition of the land at an estimated cost of ₹42.8 crore after the landowner served a purchase notice. The proposal for acquisition was approved by the Improvement Committee in October 2011, and the BMC General Body approved the acquisition proposal in December 2011. However, the final award of ₹349 crore was declared in February 2020,” said the officer.

The CAG report further stated the land remained encroached upon till January 2023, and the proposed public facilities are yet to be created.

Following a special request by the state government, the CAG had conducted an audit, and, in its report, had criticized the civic body for mismanagement, lack of transparency and callous handling of funds between November 28, 2019, and October 31, 2022. The report pointed out that the tendering process was not followed in most cases, resulting in unfair benefits to contractors.