BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has refused sanction in an overwhelming majority of corruption complaints referred to it over the past several years, effectively preventing even preliminary anti-corruption inquiries against its officers, reveals a reply received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
According to information obtained by activist Jeetendra Ghadge, out of 411 corruption complaints forwarded to the BMC for mandatory sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) since the provision was amended in 2018, the civic body has denied approval in 407 cases. Without this sanction, the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) cannot initiate even a preliminary enquiry, let alone register a first information report (FIR).
The RTI, filed with the BMC’s enquiry department, shows that not a single complaint has been granted sanction in more than seven years. Of the remaining cases, two complaints were returned to the ACB for alleged non-compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), while two remain pending consideration. The data points to a blanket refusal approach that critics say has rendered statutory anti-corruption safeguards ineffective.
Section 17A was introduced in July 2018 with the stated objective of protecting honest public servants from frivolous or motivated investigations by requiring prior approval before probing decisions taken in the discharge of official duties. However, activists argue that the BMC’s near-total denial of sanctions indicates misuse of the provision to shield errant officials rather than to protect genuine decision-making.
Commenting on the findings, Mr Ghadge of The Young Whistleblowers Foundation accused the civic administration of deliberately blocking scrutiny. “The BMC’s high command is shielding its officers, rendering the ACB toothless. This is a mockery of anti-corruption laws. If an officer is transparent and honest, there should be no objection to facing a preliminary enquiry — it is not even an FIR. The refusal to allow such an enquiry raises serious questions about the intent and integrity of the BMC,” he says.
The revelations come amid persistent allegations of corruption and irregularities in Mumbai’s civic administration, at a time when public confidence in India’s largest municipal body is already under strain.
BMC’s past record, accessed through earlier RTI disclosures, further reinforces concerns of institutional impunity. In 2024, it emerged that 96 suspended employees from BMC were reinstated without facing prosecution. This group included 19 employees with criminal cases and 77 booked under the PCA, according to the RTI reply, raising questions about the seriousness of disciplinary action within the organisation.
Several high-value scams investigated over the years underscore the scale of alleged wrongdoing linked to civic departments and contractors.
One of the most prominent cases is the ₹65 crore Mithi River desilting scam, investigated by the economic offences wing (EOW) of Mumbai police. The probe led to an FIR against 13 individuals, including senior BMC engineers and contractors. Investigators found that contractors allegedly overbilled for silt removal, claimed payments for fictitious transportation and showed dumping on non-existent plots of land. The case also flagged alleged bribes, luxury flights, and hotel stays. The investigation was later expanded to cover works executed since 2006, with the estimated scam value exceeding ₹65 crore.
Another major case involved the ₹100 crore e-tendering scam. A departmental inquiry concluded in 2019 indicted 63 BMC officials, including an assistant municipal commissioner, executive engineers and sub-engineers. The inquiry found misuse of official login IDs to favour select contractors in ward-level projects. Penalties imposed included salary stoppage, freezing of increments, and recovery from pensions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, BMC was also embroiled in the so-called 'khichdi scam'. The EOW alleged that food supply contracts worth ₹6.7 crore meant for COVID relief were awarded to unqualified companies with alleged political links. Subsequent directorate of enforcement (ED) raids pointed to irregular contract awards and inflated procurement costs.
In the ₹352 crore road works scam, multiple road repair projects executed through the BMC were found to be substandard and overpriced. In 2016, at least 22 officials from BMC and auditors were arrested in connection with the case. Contractors were blacklisted for tender manipulation, while joint engineers were accused of colluding to inflate project costs.
The civic body has also faced allegations in recruitment-related scams. In the 2020 cash-for-jobs case, four officials of BMC were booked for allegedly facilitating fraudulent appointments of sweeping staff in exchange for bribes, using forged documents and misusing compassionate hiring provisions. An older scam involving sanitation inspector jobs, dating back to 1991–94, resurfaced in 2023, when investigations found that eight individuals had secured appointments using fake diploma certificates. One accused was arrested, while others were booked under charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust.
Activists argue that the RTI findings on Section 17A sanctions tie these cases together by highlighting a systemic reluctance within the BMC to allow independent scrutiny of its officers. With 407 out of 411 complaints effectively blocked at the threshold, they say the legal safeguard meant to prevent harassment of honest officials has been converted into a wall of protection against accountability.
BMC has not publicly explained its rationale for denying sanction in every single case referred to it since 2018, despite anti-corruption agencies remaining dependent on its approval to proceed.
