20 June,2024 09:03 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Representational Pic/File/iStock
The Maha Mumbai Metro is allegedly facing a significant serious irregularities and malpractices with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee taking decisive action and ordering a probe after uncovering suspicious activities within the Mumbai metro's operations, official sources said on Thursday.
Sources further said that the MMRDA Commissioner first became aware of these irregularities and promptly informed Managing Director (MD) Rubal Agarwal through a formal letter. Reacting swiftly, MD Agarwal conducted a thorough inquiry within a week. The primary inquiry revealed that General Manager (GM) of Human Resources, was primarily at fault. To ensure a fair, free, and transparent investigation, MD Agarwal has ordered a more detailed inquiry of HR departments, Finance and Operation departments and temporarily released the manager from his current duties at Maha Mumbai Metro.
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"The focus of the investigation is a staffing agency selected as the lowest bidder to provide manpower for the metro stations. Despite the agreement, the agency consistently supplied 10% fewer employees than required. However, the HR department continued to pay for the full 100 per cent of the workforce, intended for 500 employees. This discrepancy has led to overpayments totaling approximately 10 to 15 lakh rupees every month since the start of metro operations almost two years back, effectively paying the agency 10% more than due," sources added.
"These financial missteps have compounded the existing operational losses faced by Maha Mumbai Metro. The detailed investigation will aim to uncover the full scope of the corruption and implement measures to prevent such malpractices in the future. This situation highlights the need for rigorous oversight and ethical management in public infrastructure projects," an official said.
