BMC notifies CAG that an audit is outside of its purview

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has received a legal warning from the BMC's legal department indicating that it is not permitted to audit the civic body's Covid-19 pandemic-related expenditures while the Epidemic Act 1897 and the Disaster Management Act 2005 were in effect. Iqbal Singh Chahal, Commissioner of the BMC, confirmed receipt of the notification and stated that it was received six weeks ago. According to a Dec. 8 article in The Free Press Journal, the CAG is not authorised to audit medical costs incurred during the pandemic. According to sources at the time, because saving lives is the priority during a pandemic, officials are unable to adhere to every single requirement of the tender procedure.

 

On October 29, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde instructed the CAG to audit BMC projects worth Rs 12,000 crore that was carried out between November 28, 2019, and February 28, 2022, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was in office. The investigation was initiated as a result of the BJP's charges of corruption about contracts granted during the pandemic. The CAG is anticipated to investigate at least 10 departments' transactions. A delegation of 8–10 people visited the BMC headquarters in November on the CM's instruction and met Mr. Chahal and other senior officers. The audit must be completed by the CAG before the fiscal year is up.