Maha govt asks CAG to probe 'illegal' allocation of works by BMC during pandemic

The Eknath Shinde-led government has asked the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to conduct a probe into the allocation of works by the Mumbai civic body during the pandemic period when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was in power.

However, the exact period and the cost of the projects recommended for investigation by the CAG are unclear.

The allotment of a COVID centre by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the purchase of necessary items, and the distribution of work done illegally will be investigated through the CAG, an official said. A priority was given to building facilities and purchasing goods immediately without conducting the tender process to avoid inconvenience to people during the pandemic, he said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), then in opposition, had repeatedly accused the erstwhile MVA dispensation of misusing power and causing massive corruption.

“Therefore, the state government has asked the CAG to investigate all these cases and submit a report as soon as possible so that the truth in this allegation comes before the public,” official sources said. The BJP shares power with the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena, now called ”Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena”.