The Free Press Journal

Over 1,300 objections raised as MBMC ignores revenue audits

Despite standing instructio­ns to HODs, the compliance has remained negligible

- SURESH GOLANI

In a shocking revelation which may open a Pandora’s Box on multiple financial irregulari­ties in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporatio­n (MBMC), the internal audit wing of the civic body has identified around 1,300 audit objections involving public money amounting to crores of rupees that have remained pending for the past more than a decade.

And if that was not enough 89 new objections have been added to the existing list, this year. Non-submission of proper records on utilizatio­n of funds, violation of rules in spending, excessive pay and pending recoveries in terms of sand royalty from contractor­s in municipal department­s including-water, town planning, public works and property tax- for a long time are some of the irregulari­ties pointed out by the municipal auditor.

Despite standing instructio­ns to head of department­s by the erstwhile civic chief ’s to resolve the objections or face disciplina­ry action, the compliance has remained negligible, leading to massive financial irregulari­ties and revenue losses to the cash crunched civic body.

Some officials claimed that a major part of objections were resolved but not updated in records, however, lack of any disciplina­ry action is said to be the main reason for the laxity by the erring officials who have been turning a blind eye towards the audit objections all these years. All eyes are now on municipal commission­er- Dr. Vijay Rathod on his step to weed out the anomalies.

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