MUMBAI: BJP has alleged that BMC is brushing under the carpet a probe against officials working on the scientific closure of the Gorai dumping ground, which caused a revenue loss of around Rs 73 crore. BJP has alleged that BMC was delaying the probe against officials and contractors from its solid waste management (SWM) department, which was ordered by the state legislature’s public accounts committee (PAC) following irregularities in the scientific closure of the Gorai dumping ground.
In a letter to municipal commissioner Iqbal Chahal, BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha alleged that PAC had ordered a probe after it was revealed that despite irregularities in the project, which caused a financial loss of around Rs53 crore. Kotecha said BMC didn’t take action against the consultant and BMC and suffered losses. Kotecha said even CAG had raised objections to BMC’s loss and irregularities in the project.
“A probe was initiated in June 2022 when the deputy municipal commissioner (zone 7) was told to conduct a probe. Those officials under probe are going to be promoted and the probe has been brushed under the carpet. This is very grave. All SWM officials who are responsible for causing a loss to BMC, against whom the inquiry is pending, must not be promoted. BMC must conduct a fair probe in three months,” Kotecha said.
Former BJP corporator Vinod Mishra said BMC had preempted generation of certified emission reductions (CERs) from Gorai dumping ground, before the scientific closure of the dumping ground. “This goof up not only caused a massive financial loss to BMC but also caused major embarrassment to it globally. The estimates created by the consultant were off the mark from the ground reality. BMC also did not take into account that trash in Mumbai has silt, debris, dry garbage and plastic, and this garbage doesn’t generate methane gas like in Europe. So BMC was forced to buy CECS from the global market and paid it back to banks. BMC had got Rs24 crore from the advance bank so the CEC had to be paid back.
Instead of Rs96 crore, BMC earned only Rs11 crore and there was a revenue loss of Rs73 crore,” Mishra said.
Kotecha said if BMC fails to conduct the probe and promotes the officials who are under the scanner, he will take-up the issue with the state government.
