Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) probe report into the road repair scam has raised a question mark on the role of the third-party audit company that was appointed to monitor road works. The road department officials, too, failed to keep a watch on the works, which led to irregularities, said the report.
According to civic officials, as a large number of road works were undertaken, there were not enough engineers to monitor these works. Hence, as per the recommendations of the STAC (Standing Technical Advisory Committee), PMA was appointed as a third-party audit firm to carry out daily supervision of the road works. The firm was entrusted with the entire responsibility of checking measurements at every stage of the repair works.
The report stated, “However, PMA is an outside firm. It was the duty of BMC engineers to cross-check the work performed by them. It was their responsibility to check the work, but they were found to be negligent.”
“When the road works started, we had already made it clear that we were short-staffed and hence, PMA was appointed to supervise the works. But now the blame is being pinned on us,” said one of the engineers on condition of anonymity. Sukhdev Kashid, leader, Municipal Engineers’ Association, said that the inquiry report had done them an injustice and they were planning to move the court against it.
The BMC probe has revealed that 180 of the 185 engineers have been found guilty. The probe panel has recommended that six out of the 180 be removed from service and 12 be demoted.
