The Nagpur Municipal Corporation's water works department has come under a cloud after serious allegations surfaced regarding bribery in payment clearances under the Centre's Amrut water supply schemes. Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) has directed the civic administration to conduct a detailed inquiry into the allegations involving two senior officials linked to the department.
MJP Orders Probe into Allegations
According to official communication dated May 6, MJP chief engineer Subhash B Bhujbal instructed NMC administration to probe complaints related to alleged illegalities and bribery in bill payments connected to works executed under Amrut-1 and Amrut-2 projects. The inquiry has reportedly been assigned to additional commissioner Ankit.
Officials Under Scrutiny
The officers concerned were deputed to NMC from Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran in 2019 and continued to hold key positions in the water supply department for several years. One officer later rose to the rank of superintending engineer, while the other retired as officiating executive engineer from the post of deputy engineer and was subsequently reappointed as a consultant in the same department, immediately after retirement.
Allegations of Commission Demands
The complaint alleges contractors executing works under Amrut-1 — including laying of water pipelines and construction of 32 overhead water tanks across the city — were allegedly asked to pay 1% to 1.5% commission for release of pending bills. The matter originated from a written complaint filed on July 14, 2023, by a Khamla resident before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) office at Civil Lines.
Complaint Details
The complainant alleged payments to contractors were routed through officials associated with the project management agency handling the Amrut works. The complainant also claimed to possess photographs allegedly linked to cash transactions at a jewellery shop and alleged money transfers made via relatives residing outside Nagpur. After remaining pending for nearly three years, the complaint was escalated from ACB's Nagpur office. Following scrutiny by MJP headquarters, NMC was finally directed to submit a factual inquiry report into the allegations.
Inquiry Process
Additional municipal commissioner Ankit said related documents had been received and all records and statements would be examined before any conclusion is reached.
