Published On : Fri, Feb 17th, 2017

NMC Bogus Salary Scam : 2 staff including BJP candidate’s hubby suspended

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Nagpur: Nagpur Municipal Corporation on Thursday suspended its two employees for continuing to pay salary for three years to a daily wage sanitary worker even though his wage card had been cancelled. One of the suspended staff is the husband of a BJP candidate in NMC polls.

The bogus salary scam had been exposed an year ago, after a complaint by Maharashtra Pradesh Safai Kamgar Mahasangh (MPSKM), following which NMC has instituted an inquiry. Two health department employees — Muneshwar Ramteke and Ajay Hatibedh — were suspended on Wednesday evening.

Hatibedh is husband of BJP candidate Leela, who is contesting from seat-A in ward no. 29 in South Nagpur, which is part of the constituency of BJP city president MLA Sudhakar Kohle.

The delay in taking action has also raised eyebrows. Sources said Hatibedh is close to BJP leaders, which is how his wife got a BJP ticket for the civic polls.

MPSKM working president Kishor Samundre had lodged a complaint that Sadashiv Narule was a daily wage labourer on NMC record, and salary was being disbursed to him every month, even though he was working with private garbage operator Kanak Resources Management Limited (KRML).

“Narule was shown working with NMC in the same timings as KRML. His daily wage labourer card too was cancelled a year ago. But no action was taken against NMC employees who showed Narule was still working with NMC. I met municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar and officials of health department many times. Now, two employees have been suspended but no action has been taken against health department officials. Also, an FIR was not registered even though this is a cheating case,” Samundre said.

Ramteke was health inspector and Hatibedh was sanitary supervisor of ward no. 46 under Nehru Nagar Zone. “These two showed Narule worked with NMC between July 16, 2010 and June 15, 2013, and also disbursed salary to Narule. Therefore, the two have been suspended,” said an NMC official from general administration department (GAD).

Narule was employed as daily wage labourer in NMC Gandhibag zone from 1993 to 2009. He left NMC and joined KRML in 2009. NMC also plans to inquire whether this fraud was being done since 2009. Hardikar told TOI a detailed inquiry will begin soon. The GAD has proposed departmental inquiry against Ramteke and Hatibedh.

Samundre added the scam is very big. “There are another 104 labourers actually working with KRML but shown as working with NMC, and even salaries being disbursed. Hardikar should conduct an inquiry into all cases and initiate action. Health department officials are hand in gloves, so no one is taking action,” he said.

A KRML official said on condition of anonymity Narule is working with the company as a driver since 2009, and they were not aware of any fraud at NMC. “We have nothing to do with NMC since Narule has been coming daily and doing his work properly with our company since 2009,” he said.

Narule works with KRML from 7am to 2pm, which is also the time he was shown working with NMC.