Alleged procurement irregularities and misuse in a "pressure cooker scam" in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s L Ward were uncovered in a September report by civic body’s Vigilance Department.
This report revealed that ward officials had purchased various items—such as jute bags, sarees, umbrellas, computers, walkers, spectacles, and more—spending several crores on a single day without providing any concrete evidence that these items were delivered to their intended recipients.
The allegations were made by advocate Nikhil Kamble, chairman of the Maharashtra Youth Congress, who lodged a complaint with the BMC and Mumbai police. Kamble accused Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande, the executive engineer of L Ward, and other BMC officials of exploiting the municipal assistance program for political gain. Kamble claims that Lande distributed these items, including pressure cookers, as though they were his own initiative, allegedly to boost his political profile ahead of the elections.
The questionable procurements were revealed after Kamble filed an RTI request concerning the pressure cooker purchases. Records show that on February 28, several items were bought in bulk, including sarees worth INR 1.90 crore, umbrellas valued at INR 38.38 lakh, laptops worth INR 21 lakh, spectacles costing INR 15.24 lakh, walkers valued at INR 14.28 lakh, and jute bags costing INR 21.18 lakh. The report suggests these transactions raise concerns regarding the bidding and procurement processes.
The vigilance report also noted that these items were procured from the same two suppliers who provided the pressure cookers. However, the paperwork lacked crucial details, including item prices, quantities, and complete purchase orders, as well as delivery confirmations like date-stamped photos and lists of recipients.
Further inconsistencies emerged when the monitoring team found that umbrellas were omitted from the BMC planning department’s official circular. Despite these procedural discrepancies, the sarees and umbrellas were acquired through multiple purchase orders and tenders instead of a single, unified procurement, raising additional questions about transparency and accountability.
In a formal appeal, Kamble urged both the police and the BMC commissioner to take action against Lande and other officials involved. He argued that the civic body's inability to distribute these goods to the less fortunate suggests they may have been misused for political purposes. Meanwhile, the state’s chief electoral officer has directed the suburban collector to submit a report on the matter.
Kamble stated that he has been seeking accountability for over three months. He added that public funds have been diverted for political promotions by Lande and certain BMC officials, and expressed frustration that the BMC’s vigilance department has yet to act on its own findings, allegedly due to government pressure.
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