A MAJOR case of alleged financial embezzlement has surfaced within the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC). Officials are under fire for reportedly inflating records to show the utilisation of over 16,000 kg (16 tons) of steel to process a contractor’s suspicious bill for a minor drain covering project in Ward 53 of the Govindpura constituency. The project in question is located in the Krishna Arcade and Vaishnav Complex area of BHEL Sangam Colony, under Zone 13. The work involved con structing an RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) cover over a drain approximately 240 meters long and merely three feet wide. According to BMC records, 16,139 kg of steel was used for this small-scale construction, with a total cost of approximately Rs 13.34 lakh.

 

The work order was issued by the Civil Department in June 2025 and was recently completed. Commissioner orders scientific probe; engineers under fire: Taking a stern view of the alleged irregularities, BMC Commissioner Sankriti Jain has ordered ‘core cutting’ of the RCC structure. This scientific test will determine the actual density of the steel used within the concrete, revealing whether the 16 tons of steel exist on-site or only in the paperwork. The role of In-charge Executive Engineer (EE) Brijesh Kaushal has also come under intense scrutiny.

 

Allegations suggest that he failed to conduct a single site inspection during construction and is now reportedly attempting to stall the investigation report. A Pattern of Malpractice: This incident is not an isolat ed case of inflated invoicing within the civic body. Recently, the Commissioner suspended two engineers for similar discrepancies involving over measurement and inflated material quantities in the Danish Kunj area of Kolar.