Mumbai, Jan 31 (IANS): In a major clean-up drive ahead of the upcoming civic elections, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sacked 55 employees and suspended another 134 for corruption, an official said on Tuesday.

The 55 staffers at various levels have been found guilty after court proceedings in corruption and have accordingly been dismissed from service.

Besides losing their jobs, these staffers will forfeit all other benefits like pension and gratuity and worse, they are debarred from applying from any government jobs in future, as dismissal is deemed as the most severe punishment.

Another 53 employees have cases of bribes lodged against them, and 81 employees had other criminal cases filed against them and the BMC has suspended these 134 staffers from service for an undisclosed period.

A total of 200 civic staffers are embroiled in 142 cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and in 105 cases, the BMC has given its 'pre-prosecution sanction' to file the cases.