Mumbai: Kalina Residents Demand Disciplinary Action Against BMC Ward Officer For Silence Over 'Golden Gate' Issue

Mumbai: The residents of Kalina have requested the BMC Chief to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the reconstruction of BMC Chowky Wall and take disciplinary action against assistant municipal commissioner Swapnaja Kshirsagar. The residents have alleged discrepancies in the reconstruction work as BMC paid Rs 1.88 Lakhs for a sliding gate and Kshirsagar has been tight lipped for nine months about the alleged discrepancy.

Voice of Kalina, an advance locality management (ALM) working on various civic issues as well as highlighting corruption in Kalina, has written to BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani highlighting their pending complaint with ward officer for nine months. In February, VOK had written to Kshirsagar demanding investigation into the reconstruction work of BMC Chowky locatedon Kalina-Kurla Road which had costed Rs 7.98 Lakhs.

After receiving tendering, placing order, estimation and final billing documents through RTI, the ALM had highlighted probable irregularities, discrepancies in measurement and inflated billing in the reconstruction work. The complaint alleged that the BMC paid Rs 1.88 Lakhs for fabrication of two entrance gates. The ALM team, which also has a civil engineer as a member, took measurements of the gates and claimed that BMC disclosed excess area in the bill and paid an excess amount of Rs 76,695.

It also alleged that the BMC claimed to have used fireclay cricks while online well-burnt bricks of A class quality need to be used for construction of compound wall. It also alleged that the corporation has used ordinary bricks against its claim of using fireclay bricks to inflate the bill. The complaint also raises concerns over plaster and concrete bedding on the compound wall.

As their first complaint went unheard, VOK wrote to Kshirsagar for the second time in July but never received a reply. As the ward officer failed to reply even after the second reminder, VOK wrote to BMC commissioner on October 21 demanding action against Kshirsagar under Section 64 C of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, which mandates that no decision can be kept pending for over 90 days. It also demanded a preliminary enquiry and take disciplinary action against the officers responsible for delay in replying to the complaint.

Clarence Pinto, a member of VOK, said, “We believe that the cost of reconstruction of a compound wall should be half of what they have paid. People laugh when we tell them that they have installed a gate worth almost Rs 2 Lakhs. Residents have started calling it the ‘Golden Gate’ wondering whether the BMC has made the gate out of gold. However, the ward officer’s silence over this issue says that they are hiding a lot from the residents.”

The Free Press Journal contacted Swapnaja Kshirsagar, assistant municipal commissioner of H/East ward, but did not receive any reply from her.