BMC staffers make crores with Covid-related contracts through their wives’ firms, suspended

MUMBAI: Two civic staffers (attenders) were suspended by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on October 25 after a preliminary investigation revealed that the two used money from the firms registered in the name of their wives that bagged several Covid-related contracts.

The suspended staffers - Arjun Narle from D ward and Ratnesh Bhosle, who was later posted to H(east) ward in Bandra East, worked as peons in the Solid Waste Management and Maintenance Departments. Hindustan Times is in possession of copies of the two suspension orders. As per the suspension rules, they will not be permitted to take up private employment, carry on business or trade or accept any allowance other than subsistence allowance during the suspension period.

Arjun Narle’s wife Aparna ran a private company named Shri Enterprises, while Ratnesh Bhosle’s wife Riya ran a firm named RR Enterprises.

Both Ratnesh nor Arjun had informed the authorities about running these firms.

The order dated October 25 by the additional municipal commissioner (city) stated, “As their involvement in getting various contract works related to Covid in D ward to their wives private organisation Shri Enterprises

Pand RR Enterprises is evident and they also used the money in the bank account of the said private organisation for themselves, they are hereby suspended with immediate effect pending an internal inquiry to be conducted against them for serious misconduct,” the order stated.

The matter first came to light after RTI and civic activist Santosh Daundkar got official documents that the two attenders bagged several contracts for the procurement of Covid-19 materials such as pulse oximeters along with other civic-related works. The two firms, RR Enterprises and Shree Enterprises were given several contracts amounting to ₹65.36 lakh and ₹1.1 crore respectively in D ward comprising the upscale Malabar Hill and Grant Road.

“The documents showed that both companies got contracts for hiring four-wheelers for Covid-19, supply of materials such as water purifiers, pulse oximeters etc,” said Daundkar.

Daundkar has requested to transfer this preliminary inquiry report to Anti-corruption Bureau for registration of FIR on alleged frauds committed by Shree Enterprises and RR Enterprises owned by wives of D ward peons.

“The real culprits are engineers from their departments who are hand in glove. Peons do not have the aptitude to indulge in frauds of such magnitude. The suspension of peons is just the tip of the iceberg,” added Daundkar.

Both Narle and Bhosle’s phones were out of network coverage when contacted.

The real culprits are engineers from their departments. Peons do not have the aptitude to indulge in frauds of such magnitude SANTOSH DAUNDKAR, RTI and civic activist