Varanasi Municipal Corporation Suspends Staff Over Premature Vehicle Scrapping Scandal
In a significant administrative action, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation's transport department has come under scrutiny for prematurely declaring several vehicles as "dead" and including them in an auction list even before their mandated 10-year operational tenure had concluded. Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal took immediate cognisance of the serious irregularities and suspended three employees with immediate effect.
Investigation Launched into Financial Mismanagement
Commissioner Nagpal has assigned the investigation to Additional Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar, directing him to submit a comprehensive report within 15 days. During the suspension period, all three suspended employees will be attached to the investigating officer to assist with the inquiry.
Shocking Findings from Physical Inspection
A committee comprising Deputy Chairman Narsingh Das and councillors Hanuman Prasad and Madan Mohan Dubey, who were part of the auction committee, conducted a detailed physical inspection of the municipal yard. Their report revealed alarming instances of waste and negligence:
- 25 e-garbage machines of various types, purchased as recently as August 2022, were declared scrap in just 1.5 years, far short of their expected lifespan.
- A golf cart vehicle was found with only its chassis remaining; its wheels, engine, and battery were completely missing.
- Jatayu machines, each valued at approximately Rs 10 lakh, and sweeper machines worth Rs 75 lakh were dumped in the yard without any expert assessment or report justifying their scrapping.
Systemic Negligence Uncovered
The inspection further uncovered that engines, batteries, and wheels were missing from numerous vehicles parked in the municipal workshop. Shockingly, no service records could be located for new JCB and Mahindra vehicles, indicating a complete lack of maintenance documentation.
Additionally, two Tata Ace vehicles, on which over Rs 1.5 lakh had been spent for repairs, were inexplicably placed on the scrap list, raising serious questions about financial prudence and asset management.
Senior Officials Verify Findings
Based on the committee's damning report, the Mayor and Municipal Commissioner personally conducted a follow-up physical inspection of the yard to verify the allegations. Their inspection confirmed the prima facie evidence of gross negligence.
Suspensions and Charges
As a result, junior clerks Vaibhav Sharan Mishra, Saurabh Sanyal, and Napendra Shankar Singh have been suspended. They face charges of gross negligence in vehicle maintenance and causing significant financial loss to the municipal corporation through their actions. The investigation led by Additional Commissioner Amit Kumar is now focused on determining the full extent of the financial damage and identifying any potential collusion or further misconduct within the department. This case highlights critical lapses in public asset management and underscores the need for stricter oversight in municipal operations.
