Mumbai Police's SIT registers three preliminary enquiries into alleged irregularities in civic contracts worth Rs 12,024 cr

File photo for representation. PTI

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Mumbai Police, tasked with probing alleged irregularities in contracts worth Rs 12,024 crore issued by the city's civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, has registered three Preliminary Enquiries (PE). The PEs are related to work orders issued between November 2019 and October 2022, an official said.

The SIT is investigating irregularities highlighted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in the award of civic contracts worth over Rs 12,000 crore. So far, the team has collected important documents and recorded statements from some individuals.

One of the PEs pertains to work orders worth over Rs 200 crore allegedly awarded without issuing tenders by the Road Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Another PE is focused on the alleged absence of agreements between a contractor and the BMC for 64 work orders, primarily concerning the Road Department.

"As many as 58 of these 64 work orders were related to the Road Department while six orders are related to four other departments, including storm water drain and sewage treatment work," the official said.

The third PE involves the alleged "unnecessary" delay by BMC in acquiring a plot of public utility land situated at Eksar village in suburban Dahisar. The acquisition delay is suspected to have resulted in financial losses to the government.

The said plot worth several crores was reserved for a public utility but was owned by a private person, he said, adding the SIT is investigating the reasons for the delay in the acquisition of the plot.

"While examining documents regarding the award of work tenders, it came to light that in some work there was cost escalation while in others, a third party agreement was done," the official said.

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He said the investigation can reveal whether irregularities had happened.

He said SIT officials are examining the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) followed by the BMC for awarding work to contractors.

"SIT officials are trying to understand how work contracts are finalised and who had the powers to award them," he said.

The SIT is also trying to identify the officials concerned who were handling the projects which are currently under the scanner and where they are posted now, he added.

The formation of the SIT was announced by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde based on the CAG report.

It is headed by Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and includes the Joint Commissioner of Police (EOW), Deputy Commissioner of Police (EOW) and other officers.

The SIT had last week visited the BMC headquarters on two separate days. (PTI)