Mumbai: After the Free Press Journal highlighted the multicrore ‘Pressure Cooker Scam’, the matter has reached the Bombay High Court as advocate Nikhil Kamble has filed a public interest litigation challenging the procurement and distribution of pressure cookers.
Accusing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials and MLA Dilip Lande of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy by misappropriating public property, the petition has pleaded a judicial inquiry along with compensation against the loss to public funds.
On August 13, the Free Press Journal had highlighted the alleged Pressure Cooker Scam wherein the BMC reportedly bought 50,000 cookers at a cost of Rs. 12.50 crores, alleged to be four times higher cost than the market price.
MLA Dilip Lande | File Photo
The drive was actually a part of a municipal social welfare scheme meant for the underprivileged living in L ward. However, BMC got them distributed by Chandivali MLA Dilip Lande and through a series of events, the latter passed off the initiative as his own by etching his own name on the cookers.
Advocate Nikhil Kamble | File Photo
Advocate Nikhil Kamble had written a complaint to the BMC and Mumbai Police to investigate the matter. Although the BMC failed to carry out an inquiry into the matter, the police probe had also hit a roadblock after the assistant municipal commissioner of L ward did not cooperate with the investigation. Kamble has moved the Bombay High Court through a PIL which has accused the procurement and distribution of pressure cookers to be illegal.
The petition has accused Lande to be the principal conspirator in the alleged offence, having unlawfully retained the public property with the intention of distributing it after engraving his own name upon the items. “This act is designed to create the false impression that the said property belongs to him rather than to the BMC. This gross abuse of public resources not only contravenes established guidelines but also violates the constitutional mandate of ensuring equal access to government schemes,” said the petitioner.
AMC Dhanaji Hirlekar | File Photo
The petition has requested the court to direct Saki Naka police to book AMC Dhanaji Hirlekar and MLA Lande for the offence and also order a judicial inquiry by a retired high court judge to investigate the alleged Pressure Cooker Scam.
It has also requested the court to order compensation from Hirlekar and Lande to the state exchequer for the financial loss caused by the inflated procurement price and wrongful misappropriation of public property for personal and political gains.
The petition has also pleaded the court to direct the BMC and MLA to give full details of the beneficiaries who have received the pressure cookers under the scheme. It has also requested for a thorough audit of all tenders and procurement processes initiated by Dhanaji Hirlekar and to take appropriate legal and disciplinary action fpr involvement in any corrupt practices or violation of procurement laws.
