Bandra-Borivli saw most corruption

MUMBAI: Why is your ride between Bandra and Borivli bumpy? A 5,136-page charge sheet on the multi-crore road scam has the answer.

MUMBAI: Why is your ride between Bandra and Borivli bumpy? A 5,136-page charge sheet on the multi-crore road scam has the answer.

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The charge sheet against three Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials on the Rs352.16 crore scam shows that while Rs18.74 crore was allotted to build or repair 11 roads in the western suburbs, the six appointed contractors used just Rs10.22 crore, duping the civic body of Rs8.52 crore. The BMC officials charged are Ashok Pawar, the chief engineer (roads & transport), Uday Namdeo Murudkar, the chief engineer (vigilance) and Kishore Yerme, the executive engineer (roads, western suburbs).

A probe by deputy commissioner Vasant Prabhu and chief engineer (vigilance) Shitala Prasad Kori on 34 roads spread across the city revealed just how much the civic body was short-changed. The inquiry found contractors used less material while building or repairing roads — reducing thickness and quality and pocketing the remaining amount. In south Mumbai, the contractors were to use material worth Rs5.98 crore to construct the foundation crust of 14 roads, but only used material worth Rs4.68 crore. In the eastern suburbs, nine roads saw similar misuse. The contractors used material worth Rs1.3 crore against Rs2.46 crore. The charge sheet goes on to mention engineers employed by the third-party auditor, SGS India Private Limited, meant to ensure quality and that rules are not broken, were involved with BMC officials and contractors to give false reports. The preliminary probe also found contractors submitted bogus bills, worth Rs3.85 crore for transport of debris. The police began their probe from the time tenders were floated. “The conditions in the tender were such that no company other than these six could apply,” said a senior police officer. “The scam gets enormous when an engineer of the civic body visits the site, and submits an estimate 40% more than the actual cost.” BMC officials and contractors benefitted, the officer said. “15% of the cost was distributed among officials, the contractor made a profit of 30%-35%.”