BMC: Investigation Into Loss Of Revenue Due to Non-Collection Of Fees For Fire Services

After being prompted by the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has commanded an examination into the revenue loss incurred due to the fire brigade’s inability to retrieve fire service charger from builders and yearly fees from inhabitants since 2014, reported the Times of India.

According to the report, last week, Iqbal Singh Chahal, the civic authority’s chief ordered the enquiry department to guide a preliminary investigation as opposed to top fire officers. A senior official from the civic authority stated that the municipal commissioner has given the green signal for an investigation into the fire authorities, stated the account. The enquiry officer has been asked to conduct a preliminary inquiry. Based on its findings, it will be decided whether to carry out a complete departmental enquiry on the then chief fire officer and the deputies, or not.

Subsequent to a grievance made by Vinod Mishra, a BJP Corporator, last month, the EOW wrote a letter to the BMC Chief, asking him to undertake the required steps in light of the failure to retrieve yearly and fire services fees.

Mishra based on the report elaborated that Ramesh Pawar the Joint Municipal Commissioner in October 2020 wrote an internal note, citing that an inquiry must be undertaken to accord the liability for the revenue loss to the authority of nearly hundreds of crores. He added that whilst the probe is appreciated, he believes that it should be done by an additional municipal commissioner rank officer considering that those concerned have been promoted, resulting in the inability of enquiry officers of investigating them, he added. He said that he will bring the Bombay High Court and Lokayukta in if his requirements aren’t addressed.

Based on the report, Chahal in May authorized the restoration of fire services fees that is premediated at Rs 10-15 per sqm for buildings. In addition to this, the yearly remuneration is 1% of the aggregate fire services fee number. A circular was also released by the fire brigade, on June 7, to retrieve nearly Rs 1400 cr as a one-off fire services fee from builders and yearly fees from residential buildings with hindsight since 2014. However, all of this was stayed due to agitations by corporators, by the standing committee.

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