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Mira-Bhayandar: MBMC Issues Show Cause Notice To Contractor In Rs 2.4 Crore Covid-19 Ambulance ‘Scam’

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Mira-Bhayandar: MBMC Issues Show Cause Notice To Contractor In Rs 2.4 Crore Covid-19 Ambulance 'Scam'

Mira-Bhayandar: The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has finally issued a show cause notice to the private contractual agency which was hired to provide ambulance services during the Covid-19 pandemic. The notice has asked as to why excessive payments should not be recovered from the agency.

The notice which was issued on June, 21, 2024 stipulated a time frame of three days for the agency to give an explanation. However, when asked about the excessive amount and if the agency had responded, deputy municipal commissioner- Sachin Bangar who himself had issued the notice remained tight lipped, while requesting to seek an answer on the issue from the additional municipal commissioner.

Social activist- Krishna Gupta has alleged massive anomalies and corruption in the ambulance hiring tender aimed at doling out undue monetary benefits amounting more than Rs.2.42 crore to a Vasai-based contractual agency. On the virtue of data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Gupta stated that the MBMC had roped in the agency to hire 12 ambulances to ferry Covid-19 patients from one hospital to another, or from their homes to the Covid care centres for four months between 3, July, 2020 to 30, November, 2020.

Apart from discrepancy in fares as compared to authorized pricing structure fixed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA), the contractor has also inflated bills under the garb of waiting charges and small split trips/kms.

Moreover, tender conditions envisaging 24-hour services, integration of SPERO App with the toll free 108 ambulance service system, smartphones in each ambulance with adequate internet connectivity were brazenly blown to the wind.

Notably, Gupta had also registered a complaint with the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) which sought a nod from the state government’s urban development department (UDD) nod for conducting investigations into the complaint. In response the UDD in its letter dated April, 29, 2024 directed the MBMC to submit a detailed report in context to the contract given to a private agency for providing ambulance services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officials Under Scanner.

It has been alleged that a bunch of civic officials including the erstwhile civic chief, gave a free hand to the contractor for violating the mandated guidelines while manipulating the pricing structure and fabricating data of the distance travelled by the ambulances leading to a jump in bills from the legitimate Rs.48,90,746 to Rs.2,91,05,850 thus causing a loss of more than Rs.2.42 crore to the civic exchequer.

Maharashtra

Mumbai BMC employees and officers get bonus Diwali gift

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Municipal Corporation administration has announced a bonus of Rs 31,000 to the officers and employees of Mumbai BMC Corporation for Diwali – 2025.

The decision to provide bonus grant to the officers / employees of the Municipal Corporation for Diwali 2025 was announced by the Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani. The order, details and amount of ex-gratia grant are as follows. The officers / employees of the corporation are Rs 31,000 bonus
‎Private primary school teachers / non-teaching staff who received the grant of Rs 31,000. Municipal primary school and aided private primary school teaching Rs. 31,000. Secondary school teachers / non-teaching staff (aided/unaided): Rs. 31,000/
‎5. Secondary school teaching staff (aided/unaided): Rs. 31,000.Teacher School Lecturer/Non-Teaching Staff (Aided/Unaided): Rs. 31,000.Teacher School Teaching Staff (Full Time) (Aided/Unaided): Rs. 31,000Social Health Volunteer (CHV): Bhaubej Gift Rs. 14,000/-
‎9. Kindergarten Teacher/Helper – Bhaubej Gift Rs. 05,000/-
‎Maharashtra Chief Minister. Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister. Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister. Ajit Pawar has greeted the officers and employees of the Municipal Corporation on the occasion of Diwali.
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Maharashtra

Gadchiroli : After the surrender of commander Bhupati alias Sanu and 60 Maoists with weapons, the Naxalites got a shock, confidence in government was restored : Devendra Fadnavis

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Mumbai: The end of Maoists in Maharashtra is near. In Gudchiroli, a prominent Maoist, Venugopal Malujo alias Bhupati alias Sonu, who was active in many places, has surrendered along with his associates. 60 Maoists have surrendered before the Gudchiroli police, which is a big success for the Maharashtra Police. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the Naxalites have been eliminated from the state’s Gadchiroli area and many Maoists have surrendered and they have returned to the right path and normal life. Their faith in the Constitution of India and the administration has been restored. It is a great blessing that the Naxalites have been eliminated from the state. Soon, the 10 to 15 Maoists who are hiding in the forests will also surrender. He said that Bhupati had expressed his desire to surrender. The police were in touch with him and then he expressed his desire that he wanted to surrender to me. So I said that I am ready to go to the forest too. But Bhupati was brought here and today Bhupati has surrendered. This is a big success. With the efforts of the central and state governments, the Naxalites have now become unstable and weak, which is why many Naxalites have surrendered before.

Fadnavis has said that the red terror has ended, the surrender of Naxalites from the borders around Gudchiroli is certain, due to the crackdown on Maoists from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and other borders, Maoists have either surrendered or repented from Naxalism to a large extent. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah’s dream of a Pakistan-India relationship with the Naxalites is being realized in shame. Bhupati was a Maoist who was the backbone and ideological ideology of the Maoists. His surrender will further strengthen the police operation. He said that it is the result of the hard work of all the senior officers including Maharashtra Police DGP Rashmi Shukla and the officers involved in the Naxal operation that the Maoists’ back has been broken today. Fadnavis said that there was a reward of Rs 6 crore on the Naxalites and now this Maoist has been brought back to the right path.

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Maharashtra

Firing in Ghatkopar : Armed man enters Darshan Jewellers, creating sensation in the area, police are actively searching for the accused.

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Mumbai: A shooting incident in Ghatkopar, Mumbai has created a sensation. A shooting incident was carried out here for robbery, after which the police reached the spot and conducted a panchanama. An armed man entered a shop in Ghatkopar Darshan Jewellers to commit a robbery. There, he put a knife to the throat of the complainant and fled. The police have started an investigation into the matter and have started searching for the unknown robbers. DCP Rakesh Ola said that an armed man had entered the shop and threatened the complainant by putting a knife to his throat. After the entry of armed unknown persons into Darshan Jewellers, a sensation spread in the area and questions have been raised about law and order. The shooting at 10:30 am has caused panic in the area. The police have formed teams in this matter and have started searching for the unknown robbers. So far, no one has been arrested in this case. At present, the police have refused to say anything more about this. DCP Rakesh Ola denied the shooting incident and said that the gunman at Darshan Jewellers had targeted the complainant and put a knife to his throat. The police are investigating the matter further.

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