Hindustan Times 15.12.2010
State govt puts BMC under scannerFollowing the political storm over allegations of corruption in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the state government has taken the first step towards cleaning up the civic body’s functioning. It has asked for audits of various civic functions and reports on the allegations. This could help streamline services and ensure better financial accountability.
While not announcing an independent inquiry, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said on Tuesday that he had sought reports on the charges from the BMC itself, which is ruled by the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance.
The charges range from accounting negligence to poor implementation of the mid-day meal scheme for civic school students. “The guilty would face action,” Chavan said in the Assembly.
The government will probe why the BMC did not prepare balance sheets for the last three years and review whether an enterprise resource planning — a computerised process used to coordinate resources and functions — system, which the BMC bought, was required.
The government will ask the BMC to explain why children in civic schools are falling ill after consuming flavoured milk and why there is a water supply shortfall.
