Women from L ward (Saki Naka, Chandivali and Kurla) staged a protest against the Rs12.50 crore pressure cooker 'scam' during a public grievances meeting held at the BMC ward office in Kurla Market, Kurla West, on Friday. They claimed that despite holding the below poverty line (BPL) cards and being the actual beneficiaries, cookers were distributed among party members and supporters of Shinde Sena MLA Lande. The protestors accused the BMC of malpractice in the distribution drive.
On August 13, the Free Press Journal had reported about the alleged scam wherein the BMC reportedly bought 50,000 cookers four times higher than the market price (Rs2,498) and got them distributed by Lande. Through a series of events, the latter passed off the initiative as his own to woo voters ahead of the assembly polls, said complainant Advocate Nikhil Kamble, who has lodged a police complaint in the matter. The drive was actually a part of a municipal social welfare scheme meant for the underprivileged living in L ward.
After Kamble wrote to the police chief, Saki Naka police launched a probe and summoned the assistant municipal commissioner to record his statement. Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association also slammed the BMC and Lande, reiterating Kamble's freebie charge. In a follow-up on August 15, this newspaper had also reported about the residents’ allegation that the cookers were only distributed to Lande's supporters.
Asserting that it was their right to receive the household equipment, the protestors demanded their “fair share” of pressure cookers. Women alleged corruption in the procurement of cookers and accused Lande of uneven distribution due to which “they were left back”. However, the assistant municipal commissioner assured them of giving cookers once they receive more pieces, while providing application forms to enroll for the scheme.
Kamble, who was also present in the meeting, said, “The ward officer tried to justify the inflated procurement price by saying that the amount also includes taxes. When asked about a single representative distributing all the cookers, he said that they were not able to get in touch with other representatives.” The official further said that they will invite more representatives next time. Although he claimed that the BMC has data on cookers distributed, he was without an answer when asked about banners displaying only Lande and his party at distribution events, Kamble added.
