The Bharatiya Janata Party staged a protest outside the Mumbai Mayor’s office on Tuesday, alleging corruption in purchase of body bags by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). BJP corporators lay down on the floor in fake body bags to draw the civic body’s attention to the issue.
In April, the BMC had invited bids for purchasing body bags and another round of bids in May. The BJP alleged that despite each body bag being available between ₹500 and ₹1,400 in the market, the BMC had mentioned a reserve price of ₹6,700 per piece.
“It is suspicious that of the 10 people who had submitted bids (in the latest tender), nine disqualified and only one qualified. The BMC Commissioner cannot give a clean chit to officers saying that tender has been scrapped. This kind of corruption in the middle of a pandemic is unfortunate. What action has been taken so far?” the BJP corporators asked.
The BMC has maintained that it was going to buy body bags purely based on the Centre’s guidelines. In its previous purchase order dated May 2, the BMC claimed that body bags were purchased for ₹6,700 when the same bag’s price on the Centre’s website was ₹7,800.
“The latest bid was scrapped as none of the bidders qualified on technical parameters. The Commissioner has ordered bids to be re-invited,” the civic body said in a statement.
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