BMC chief Ajoy Mehta has asked additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Deshmukh to take action against the contractor.
The BMC has decided to lodge a criminal complaint against a contractor, who cheated it by supplying 31 duplicate anaesthesia workstation machines, claiming them to be from the UK. The machines were allegedly supplied by submitting forged documents and bills.
BMC chief Ajoy Mehta has asked additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Deshmukh to take action against the contractor.
Last month, Congress corporator Pravin Chheda highlighted the issue as a major scam in the standing committee. Chheda claimed that civic officials purchased 31 duplicate machines and showed them as UK-made. A total of 51 anaesthesia workstation machines were purchased by the health department in 2012.
An inquiry report, which was submitted to the municipal commissioner last week, stated that the customs department did not have any record or information about the machines.
"The EDI system of the customs department has no record of those documents shown by the contractor. Also, the regional manager of Air India has confirmed via email that the 'airway bill' produced by the contractor does not exist in their system," stated the report.
Chheda demanded that an FIR be registered against the contractor and an inquiry be conducted by the anti-corruption bureau along with a parallel inquiry at the municipal commissioner's level.
Standing committee chairman Yashodhar Phanse ordered an inquiry into the issue and asked the civic administration to submit the report before the committee.
A Rs6 crore contract for the purchase of 51 anaesthesia workstation machines for all civic hospitals was given to Universal Organic Company.
According to sources, the machines are being used in several civic-run hospitals, including Jogeshwari's Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Centre, Sion Hospital and Nair Hospital.
"Twenty duplicate machines have been imported from the UK in the first instalment and 31 in the second instalment, of which there are no documents to prove imports. These machines are said to be manufactured in Noida. Several departments are involved in the scam and one additional municipal commissioner is also involved," alleged Chheda.
"The deputy municipal commissioner for the central purchase department has clearly mentioned in his inquiry report that 31 machines were not purchased from the UK and that the contractor should be blacklisted," said Chheda.
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