Mumbai corporators want inquiry into operations of BMC printing press

Cutting across party lines, Mumbai's corporators on Wednesday demanded that an inquiry be conducted into the operations of the printing press at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The a unanimous demand for a vigilance inquiry on the working of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation printing press set up at the corporation, came after corporators of the Standing Committee alleged that the contract signed between the company and corporation was a loss-making deal for the BMC.

The corporators alleged that the administration paid to purchase the machines and then had to also pay Rs 0.53 paise to the contractors to print even one poster and pay for the ink used. There have been issues with the working of the printing press for more than one year and each machine costing the administration Rs 3 crores and having being purchased over the past few years.

Sandeep Deshpande, one of the corporators and member of Standing Committee, said, "Why give printing jobs to others when we can do it. But printing in our own press is difficult as they have to pay more here with an extra 53 paise being paid to the contractors which need to be enquired by the administration."

The additional municipal commissioner, SVR Srinivas, said, "We will have to think over this demand."