Though civic administration has approached city police for inquiry into misappropriation of public funds, ramification of the stationery scam is widening to other departments even as Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B scrambles to plug the leakage. Showcause notices were issued to Chief Audit and Finance Officer (CAFO) Vijay Kolhe and Assistant Commissioner, GAD, Mahesh Dhamecha. Two other staffers, including Mohan Padwanshi, senior clerk, GAD, and Ashfaque Ahmed and S Y Nagdive, both Internal Auditors, have been placed under suspension. Similarly, Municipal Commissioner has called for checking of all records pertaining to all 24 departments of civic body getting a whiff of major scam as one more anomaly, this time in Birth and Death Department has surfaced. Vijay Zalke, corporator, claimed that Rs 1.50 crore payment was effect of various purchases that were never done. Bogus provisions were created and on that basis payment were released to favor contractors.

 

All these pertains to COVID-19 time when administration floated short tenders. He asked for through inquiry and alleged that without connivance of senior officials. The modus operandi was that purchases of Rs. three lakh is done through a system and some officials indulged in violation of norms. Zalke while addressing a press conference at NMC headquarters on Thursday said till date civic administration has not provided details of purchases made during the COVID-19's second wave in city. Nor there is any information about the material purchased with the Stores and this is a grave issued since public funds are involved. Calling the action against four employees as an eye wash he described how the procurement and payment files are prepared in NMC and there is an established chain. How can one prepare bogus stamps and even forge signature and none in the hierarchy is any wiser about the fraud, Zalke questioned.