The Bhayandar police have registered an offence against two owners of a private agency for allegedly duping the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) to the tune of Rs.46.86 lakh on the virtue manipulated documents related to daily wages paid to caretakers who were roped into to maintain the community toilets.
The action followed in response to a complaint filed against the agency by sanitation inspector- Arvind Chalke on behalf of the MBMC. The twin-city has more than 201 community toilet complexes, comprising 3,805 toilet seats- most built under Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) Nirmal Abhiyan project.
The MBMC had inked an agreement with Shine Maintenance Company for the day to day cleanliness and upkeep of the community toilets for a period of three years from November, 2020 to September 2023.
The agreement had 52 clauses including-payment of daily wages amounting Rs. 1046 to each caretaker for an 8-hour shift envisaging cleaning of 30 toilet seats twice a day and accommodation above the community toilets to ensure 24-hour vigilance, opening bank accounts to aid direct bank transfer (DBT) of wages, adherence to amendments in guidelines related to minimum wages act (MWA), daily attendance registry, submission of bills supported by details of the caretaker and bank statements to validate that the wages were paid as per the agreed terms.
After complaints from caretakers that they were being underpaid, the MBMC scrutinised the current account of the company and compared it with the bank / salary statements of the caretakers. It came to light that the agency had siphoned off Rs.46.86 lakh by short-paying Rs.3,000 each to 142 workers for 11 months. Despite paying low wages, the agency had submitted fabricated statements and fake pay slips to get its bill passed from the MBMC. Meanwhile an offence under the relevant sections of the IPC for criminal breach of trust, cheating and forging documents against the agency owners.
However, none of them have been arrested so far. It has been alleged that the most of the contractors which have been roped in for various works are exploiting workers by depriving them of the minimum wages, insurance, provident fund, some even taking back money after making payments through the bank on the virtue of pre-signed withdrawal slips and ATM cards.
