Mumbai: Pawan Kawre, an assistant engineer from A Ward in South Mumbai, has been suspended following grave allegations of misconduct and irregularities in handling Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) pay-and-park contracts. The suspension, ordered by Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi, is pending a preliminary inquiry into multiple violations across prominent city parking lots.
The irregularities came to light during a sting operation at the Kala Ghoda pay-and-park zone near Jehangir Art Gallery. Senior BMC officials, posing as regular motorists, discovered overcharging at the facility. Although an FIR against the concerned contractor was filed on May 15, Kawre was suspended nearly a month earlier, on April 17.
Kawre is accused of dereliction of duty in supervising several key parking sites, reported Hindustan Times. At Trident Hotel, Marine Drive, the contract awarded to Lakshmi Mahila Sahitya Group expired on August 31, 2024. However, the contractor continued operating till February 28, 2025, without any official extension. Additionally, Kawre reportedly misled authorities by falsely identifying the road as ‘Sir Dorabji Tata Road’ and did not act against recurring double parking violations between NCPA and the Air India building.
Another instance involves Pallavi Berozgar Samiti, whose contract ended on November 13, 2024, but who continued to run the facility till February 24, 2025, without BMC approval. Subsequently, a new contractor was selected through an e-tender dated October 3, 2023, though crucial eligibility checks, like registration with the Charity Commissioner and employment exchange listing, were allegedly ignored.
Kawre is also accused of allowing a women's self-help group to operate a parking lot beyond its sanctioned period. Their extension was valid only till January 4, 2024, yet operations continued till May 1, 2024, without authorisation. Moreover, a proposal later submitted for the Shraddha Mahila Safai Group allegedly contained misleading information about contract duration, raising concerns of document tampering.
The suspension order highlights violations under Rule 3(1)(1), 3(1)(2), and 3(2) of the BMC Service (Conduct) Rules, 1999. Charges against Kawre include misleading the administration, gross negligence, misconduct, and behavior unbecoming of a civic officer. He has not issued any statement regarding his suspension. The ongoing inquiry will determine further action based on the extent of his involvement.
