BJP MLA alleges cash-for-transfer racket in BMC engineer transfers

BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha has called for a formal investigation into alleged 'cash-for-transfer' irregularities involving engineers within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In a letter to State Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, Kotecha claimed to possess information regarding a 'rate card' used for these transfers.

The legislator alleged that BMC Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) Avinash Dhakne has been evading official queries. Kotecha stated that he requested documents and answers to specific questions on August 5, 2026, but received no response after 26 days.

Kotecha noted that a previous controversy occurred in 2025 when the transfer of 165 engineers was cancelled following similar allegations by BJP MLA Amit Satam. He further claimed that a recent transfer proposal, which included approximately 50 percent of the engineers from the disputed 2025 list, was prepared under Dhakne's guidance but was subsequently cancelled by BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide following Kotecha's intervention in May 2026.