ED records BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal statement over irregularities in COVID centre contracts

Mumbai civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal said jumbo COVID-19 care centres were set up on the Maharashtra government's orders as he recorded his statement with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with with alleged irregularities in award of contracts for health facilities during the pandemic.

Talking to reporters after emerging out of the ED office, where he recorded his statement for more than four hours, Chahal said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was extending all cooperation to the central agency.

The BMC commissioner reached the ED office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai around 11.40 am and walked out shortly after 4 pm. The central financial crime probe agency had earlier summoned the senior bureaucrat to record his statement in the matter.

The civic chief told reporters the situation could have gone out of control if quick preparations were not made to tackle COVID-19 in Mumbai, which recorded its first case in March 2020. The BMC had started jumbo COVID-19 centres with instructions from the state government by acquiring some places and handing them over for setting up field hospitals, he said.

The municipal corporation outsourced the required staff to meet the requirement of COVID-19 field hospitals. Due to this lives of lakhs of people were saved as they got timely medical treatment, Chahal said.

I have informed the ED that we are extending all cooperation from the BMC's side. I will cooperate with the agency and (appear before it) if called again for inquiry, said the IAS officer.