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Mumbai: 18 BMC officials to face enquiry over Jogeshwari plot case

Report suggests malafide intent in the case; four officials have already been suspended

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Three officials from the Development Plan (DP) and one from the Law department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation have been suspended with immediate affect, and a detailed full-fledged departmental enquiry (FFDE) has been initiated against them, and eight other officials from these two departments.

Four other senior officials from DP department, including department chief Sanjay Darade, and two others from the Law department, were found guilty of poor supervision. Appropriate action has been suggested against them.

The enquiry report stated that these officials worked with a larger malafide intent to ensure that the outcome would not be in their favour. Officials allegedly sat on the Jogeshwari plot files, which resulted in the BMC losing the case in the Supreme Court.

Following the enquiry, three officials from DP department — namely Ashok Shendge, executive engineer, Vijay Kumar Wagh, assistant engineer, and Ganesh Bapat, sub engineer; and deputy law officer PV Naik were suspended. They will also face FFDE. In addition, two joint law officers KN Gaikwad and deputy law officer VS Gharpure were also found guilty, and minor charges have been levelled against them.

Further departmental enquiry will be conducted by Ashok Tawadiya, chief engineer of Hydraulic Engineering department, and Prakash Kadam, deputy municipal commissioner (SE), under the supervision of IA Kundan, additional municipal commissioner of Western Suburbs. However, there is no time frame within which they will have to complete the enquiry.

The preliminary enquiry was carried out by Nidhi Choudhary, deputy municipal commissioner (special). It was submitted to the standing committee on Tuesday. The report also suggested a reform in the Law department. Role of Jernold Havier, chief Law officer, too, was found suspicious. He, too, will have to face a detailed enquiry.

Ravi Raja, a Congress corporator and leader of Opposition, called the enquiry report a eyewash. He reiterated his previous demand of enquiry through a retired judge. "In the report, civic administration has tried to save senior officials from both the Law and DP departments," said Raja. Due to exorbitant delay in clearing files and tampering in civic chief noting, the BMC lost the case. It failed to acquire a 3.3-acre plot in Jogeshwari. The BMC was supposed to acquire the plot within a year of purchase order.

As per the rule, after purchase order is submitted by the land owner at the BMC, the civic body has to complete the process of acquiring within a year. However, in this case, the one year mandatory period had lapsed and the civic body lost the case and the land. The land was reserved as a recreational ground in the 1991 Development Plan of the city. The enquiry was initiated after the BMC lost the plot and suspicion was raised against these departments.

IN THE WRONG

  • Officials allegedly sat on the Jogeshwari plot files, which resulted in the BMC losing the case in the Supreme Court. 
     
  • The preliminary enquiry was carried out by Nidhi Choudhary, deputy municipal commissioner (special). 
     
  • BMC was supposed to acquire the plot within a year of purchase order, but it failed to do so.
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