BMC ‘splurged’ Rs 10 crore in 3 months on Dahisar jumbo centre

Beneficiaries are vaccinated against COVID-19 at Dahisar jumbo centre. File pic/Satej Shinde

The civic body on Wednesday informed the standing committee that it paid about R10 crore as three-month rent for beds at Dahisar jumbo COVID-19 care centre.

In addition, the BMC has spent over Rs 3,000 crore on various facilities and services since the beginning of the pandemic. It spent over Rs 1,219 crore in the current fiscal year, 2021-22, over Rs 1,809 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 9.18 crore in 2019-20. However, the civic body has not provided any break-up of these expenditures.

Prabhakar Shinde, group leader of the BJP, raised the issue of the civic administration's enormous spending on rent of the temporary structure [Dahisar jumbo centre], at the standing committee meeting. He said, "It means the BMC spent over R10 lakh every day for a tent structure [for three months]. The land is owned by the BMC, and still the corporation wasted taxpayers' money. It is a classic example of extravagant spending in the name of pandemic."

The administration, in its written reply, stated that the temporary jumbo structure was built with 955 beds at Dahisar toll plaza, and with 110 ICU beds at Ketkipada in Dahisar East. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd paid a monthly rent of Rs 3.72 crore to various service providers for three months until October 6, 2020. Thereafter, the BMC took charge of the centre and paid Rs 10.41 crore as three months' rent. The one-month rent for 1,065 beds is Rs 3.47 crore, meaning Rs 1,086 per bed per day.

Shut since May

"The municipal commissioner granted the permission for the rent, and an approval was also sought to continue the centre till June 30, 2021. However, it was closed for repairs after Cyclone Tauktae [wreaked havoc in May], and was never started," said a civic official.

Most of the jumbo COVID care centres were built by other authorities, like MMRDA, MHADA, CIDCO, etc., and handed over to the BMC for healthcare services. The civic corporation has spent over Rs 3,000 crore on medical teams, procuring medicines, medical machinery and equipment.

In 2020-21, the BMC's expenditure was towards increasing bed capacity in the existing centres, followed by expenditure towards hotel bills for accommodation of the frontline staff along with recruiting workforce on contract basis. In the current year, the major cost went towards the development of oxygen plants, purchasing drugs and maintenance of 10 jumbo COVID care centres.