BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha alleges 55 ‘tainted’ officials back in BMC’s proposed transfer list

MUMBAI: Alleging that a transfer scam is resurfacing in the BMC, BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha claimed that around 55 officials mentioned in the October 2025 ‘controversial’ list have been allotted the same postings in a proposed fresh list under the guise of routine transfers.

The previous transfer list was stayed by the civic administration following allegations of corruption raised by BJP MLA Ameet Satam and activist Anil Galgali.

Kotecha has urged BMC commissioner Ashwini Bhide to intervene, noting that the proposed transfer list is yet to receive final approval.

The BMC administration has, however, denied that any fresh transfers have been proposed. “We are not aware of any list and who has prepared it and for what purpose. This is certainly not related to transfers,” said a senior civic official.

In October 2025, Kotecha stated, a transfer order was issued covering 161 officials, including sub-engineers and assistant engineers, when Amit Saini was serving as additional municipal commissioner. The MLA claimed that the “cash-for-postings” scam had triggered serious allegations of senior BMC officials demanding between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 40 lakh for transfers and promotions across various grades. The transfer orders were put on hold by then municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani. Kotecha claimed they were later scrapped by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Kotecha claimed that the fresh transfer order is being processed. “The file on transfers is yet to reach the municipal commissioner and additional municipal commissioner for final approval. We hope the BMC chief will prevent the scam,” he said.

Following the stay on the transfers initiated in October 2025, BMC had cancelled the transfers of more than 120 engineers. In April, BMC set up a committee to enhance transparency in the internal transfer process for the around 4,500 engineers employed across various civic departments. The committee, chaired by the director (Engineering Services and Projects), will be responsible for decisions regarding these transfers.

The BMC administration has also stated that specialized software, modelled on systems currently used by the state government, will be developed, and the entire transfer process for engineers will be conducted online.