Corporators take BMC to task over delay in octroi X-ray scanners plan

Corporators on Tuesday lashed out at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for non-implementation and delay in the four-year-old proposal to install X-ray scanners at octroi nakas.

Corporators on Tuesday lashed out at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for non-implementation and delay in the four-year-old proposal to install X-ray scanners at octroi nakas. The proposal was first mooted in 2007 to check widespread evasion of octroi at the five check nakas in the city. In the civic Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday,some corporators also hinted that a nexus between octroi officials and evaders is causing the unusual delay in the implementation of the project.

Shiv Sena corporator Shubhada Gudekar said the scanners are expected to check the evasion of octroi and increase the revenue of the BMC by 20 per cent. Octroi is the biggest source of revenue for the civic body. Why should such an important proposal be stuck for so long? she asked.

Two months ago,the civic body had acquired an imported machine for a demo period of 10 days at one of the nakas and found the machine was scanning vehicles only from one side. While the machine cost Rs 7 crore,the one with scanners on all the sides would cost about five to six times more. The civic body has now decided to acquire the machines on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.

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Shiv Sena MLA and corporator Ravindra Waikar said he cannot help but believe there is a nexus between officials and octroi evaders. Everyone is aware of the large scale corruption at the octroi nakas. In many cases,our own officials facilitate it. Is this the reason for not getting these scanners? he said.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Aseem Gupta said the BMC will soon hold a special Standing Committee meeting to discuss the issue and make a presentation to the members on how the BOT model will work for the scanners.

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