Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde orders SIT Probe on BMC

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the projects helmed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to find irregularities in their work. This SIT is being led by the Commissioner of Mumbai Police, as per PTI. These said irregularities in BMC projects are said to be worth Rs.12,024 crores, and Shinde has also directed Mumbai Police’s economic offences wing to also look into this matter. They were flagged by Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). While the specific nature of these projects hasn’t been revealed yet, these irregularities have taken place between 2019 to 2022.

More specifically, these financial inconsistencies have taken place from November 2019 to June 2022 during the government of former CM Uddhav Thackerey and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). BMC had landed several projects during the Covid period right until 2022 when the MVA government collapsed after current Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde led a political coup against Thackerey. The MVA government was an alliance with the formerly Thackerey-led Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Congress, but was eventually brought down after a majority of MLAs moved to Shinde’s camp.

Image source: ANI