The Saki Naka police have launched an investigation following complaints that officers from the BMC’s L Ward procured substandard strain cookers at inflated costs, which had been then distributed underneath a ladies empowerment scheme earlier this yr.
In a grievance filed in July, Advocate Nikhil Kamble alleged that L Ward procured roughly 41,000 strain cookers by means of a non-public contractor by way of a young course of. These cookers had been supposed for distribution to economically deprived residents, together with Under Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders inside the ward. The cookers had been bought at Rs 2,400 every, regardless of having a market worth of Rs 1,545.
Kamble acknowledged, “I filed a legal grievance with each the BMC commissioner and the police commissioner relating to this rip-off occurring underneath the supervision of the L Ward’s Assistant Commissioner. Regardless of this, no motion has been taken, indicating a blatant disregard for the difficulty. The failure of officers to handle this misuse of public funds is inflicting vital losses to the general public exchequer and violates Article 14 of the Structure, as solely choose social gathering staff appear to profit from the scheme.”
The cookers had been subsequently handed over to Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande from Chandivali, who distributed them in his locality, regardless of the BMC’s procurement of the cookers, Kamble alleged.
Mandeep Singh Makkar, a social activist from L Ward, commented, “It is a clear case of economic mismanagement and corruption. The BMC should clarify why they paid almost double the market worth for these cookers and why they opted for low-standard manufacturers as an alternative of respected ones.”
Residents who obtained these cookers have expressed dissatisfaction with their high quality. “The cooker I obtained felt flimsy and unreliable, with a free lid permitting steam to flee. I needed to get it repaired earlier than utilizing it, because it initially didn’t guarantee security,” mentioned Kausalya Shinde, a beneficiary.
Assistant Inspector Hindurao Chaudhari of the Saki Naka police has summoned BMC L Ward Assistant Municipal Commissioner Dhanaji Hirlekar as a part of the investigation. Nevertheless, Hirlekar has requested extra time, citing his tasks with the Har Ghar tiranga marketing campaign forward of Independence Day. “We’re dedicated to investigating the rip-off, however with out statements from BMC officers, our progress has been hindered,” mentioned Chaudhari.
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