Mumbai, May 12 (NIE): A senior official who gave a clean chit to three of the six contractors involved in the multi-crore road scam has been sent on “forced leave” and will face an internal inquiry, BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta has said. The decision to take action against the senior civic official who conducted the first phase of investigation was taken on Friday.

Former Director of Engineering Services and Projects (ES&P) of BMC Laxman Vhatkar was appointed by Mehta to conduct an inquiry in the first phase of the scam, which involved discrepancies in 34 road projects. Even though an FIR was registered against the six contractors, two senior civic engineers were arrested and several officials suspended, the internal committee headed by Vhatkar gave a clean chit to three of the six contractors.

Following a hearing by the Vhatkar-led committee, three of the six contractors named in the scam were allowed to take up civic works again. As per the report these three contractors will be able to bid for works only up to Rs 7.5 crore, and described it as a “demotion”.

A senior official said, “Instead of blacklisting these three contractors, they were ‘demoted’. They were allowed to bid in the future. The report has been criticised and questioned from all corners including the elected representatives.”

Mehta told The Indian Express that not just the clean chit but there are other issues pertaining to the inquiry that were questionable. “During the inquiry, the official was assigned another designation. However, while leaving the office of director ES&P, he did not hand over the inquiry to the officer taking charge. He instead went on to submit the report himself. Considering all these discrepancies, I have stayed the previous order and have sent the officer on forced leave. The inquiry was appointed due the post he was holding, hence it was his responsibility to hand over the inquiry to the person who took over.”

According to Mehta, additional municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal will initiate an internal inquiry against Vhatkar, who was holding the post of Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Environment). Mehta said, “The order pertaining to the three contractors has been stayed till the final report on the inquiry against Vhatkar.”

Meanwhile, VP Chithore, currently director ES&P will look into the first and second phase of investigation into the scam.

According to the investigation report, in the first and second phase, 185 engineers were under the scanner of whom 180 were found guilty. In the first phase, 34 roads were inspected while in the second, 200 were inspected. Of the total 180 engineers, 96 were found guilty only in the first phase while 169 were indicted in both phases. The first phase of the inquiry saw four engineers being dismissed and the second saw two. Punishment recommended for other engineers includes reduction in rank, reduction in pension, no increment next year, fines etc.

Despite repeated attempts, Vhatkar, could not be reached for his comment.