MUMBAI: An assistant engineer from A Ward in South Mumbai has been suspended following serious allegations of misconduct and irregularities in managing municipal pay-and-park contracts.
The order, issued by additional municipal commissioner (city) Dr Ashwini Joshi, has suspended Pawan Kawre, pending a preliminary inquiry into multiple irregularities in handling contracts for parking lots at prominent city locations.
The irregularities surfaced after a sting operation at Kala Ghoda recently, where senior officials with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), who went incognito, attempted to park their cars at the pay-and-park facility outside the Jehangir Art Gallery.
The suspension order was issued on April 17, even before a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the contractor in Kala Ghoda and other locations, for overcharging motorists at pay-and-park lots, which was reported on May 15.
Kawre is accused of serious lapses during his tenure as assistant engineer, particularly in overseeing paid parking projects at the following sites: Trident Hotel, Marine Drive, where the contract for managing the parking lot was awarded to Lakshmi Mahila Sahitya Group. Although the contract expired on August 31, 2024, the contractor continued to operate it until February 28, 2025, without any official extension or approval.
Additionally, Kawre allegedly misled the administration by misidentifying the road as ‘Sir Dorabji Tata Road’ and failed to report double parking violations from NCPA to the Air India building. The contract, managed by Pallavi Berozgar Samiti, too expired on November 13, 2024. However, they continued operations till February 24, 2025, without any extension.
The subsequent contract was awarded to an agency under an e-tender, dated October 3, 2023, without verifying mandatory conditions such as registration with the Charity Commissioner and inclusion in the employment exchange.
“Despite double parking being observed, no action was taken by Kawre. A women’s self-help group was granted a contract extension only until January 4, 2024, but continued operations until May 1, 2024, without formal approval. A proposal was later submitted in favour of Shraddha Mahila Safai Group with misleading information about the contract duration, indicating manipulated documentation,”the suspension order stated.
Kawre is accused of violating Rule 3(1) clauses (1) and (2), and Rule 3(2) of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Service (Conduct) Rules, 1999. The charges include dereliction of duty, misleading senior officers and the administration, acting in a manner unbecoming of a municipal employee, gross misconduct and negligence. He refused to comment on his suspension.
Makarand Narwekar, former BJP corporator from Colaba, said the civic body should cancel illegal pay-and-park contracts and make the facilities free for Mumbaikars till tenders are awarded. “Despite the suspension, pay-and-park operations in the area continue without interruption. This raises a fundamental question, if the extensions were wrong and officials were suspended for the same, then why have the parking operations not been halted? Who is accountable for allowing these operations to continue under illegal extensions?” asked Narwekar.
“The continuation of these parking services, despite the BMC’s own position that the extensions were wrong and invalid, strongly suggests a nexus between certain BMC officials and contractors,” he alleged.
Activist Santosh Daundkar, the whistleblower in this case, said, “The current BMC’s estate plot parking policy is commendable for its inclusivity, especially for women, and should be implemented more effectively rather than discontinued. However, misuse by mafias—allegedly protected by local authorities, undermines the system, even as the BMC earns revenue. A road engineer should manage parking, but the assigned official is handling unrelated tasks.
“Parking facilities are insufficient, notably in A Ward and near Mahatma Jyotiba Phule market, except for G South ward. To improve the system, the following steps are recommended: enforce in-time/out-time-based parking charges; install clear parking signboards; conduct surprise police inspections. This will enhance transparency, ensure fair use, and improve public satisfaction,” he said.