Mumbai: Serious allegations of financial discrepancies have surfaced regarding a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) contract for hiring non-air-conditioned tourist permit vehicles. Raising the issue during a Standing Committee meeting, Standing Committee member and Corporator Tejinder Singh Tiwana questioned the financial transparency of the proposed contract extension.
The original contract, awarded during the administrator’s tenure, was valid from June 5, 2024, to June 4, 2026. The civic administration has now proposed extending the contract until December 2026.
Tiwana pointed out that all seven contract groups were initially awarded nearly identical contracts worth approximately ₹6.43 crore each. However, the proposed six-month extension allocates significantly different additional amounts to each group, raising concerns over possible financial irregularities.
According to Tiwana, the proposed increases range from approximately ₹60 lakh to nearly ₹1 crore across different groups, despite the contracts being of a similar nature.
He demanded an independent investigation into the entire vehicle rental contract, including verification of vehicle usage records, log sheets, fuel consumption, travel details, billing records, and payments made. He also called for a special audit of the contract and urged that no payments be released to contractors until the inquiry and audit are completed.
“Every rupee spent from taxpayers’ money must be fully accounted for. The reasons behind granting unequal additional amounts for similar contracts must be clarified, and complete transparency must be ensured,” Tiwana said.
