Nagpur’s municipal landscape is in turmoil as the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) grapples with a significant audit crisis. A recent report from a leading print media unveiled that many internal audits have been stalled for over six years, prompting an immediate response from civic officials.
On Monday, during a standing committee meeting, chairperson Shivani Dani Wakhare was unable to dodge the fallout from this revelation. “This situation is a serious lapse,” she said, acknowledging that internal audits across most of the corporation’s 22 departments remain pending. The admission didn’t sit well with opposition members who were quick to capitalize on the report, demanding accountability and transparency.
The audit department is meant to provide oversight directly to the municipal commissioner’s office. Yet it seems there’s been a glaring inability to even approach former commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari for nearly two months regarding pending files. In light of these issues, Dani mentioned plans are being discussed to appoint an additional municipal commissioner specifically tasked with monitoring these delayed audits.
This shift aims for greater accountability—something sorely needed after it emerged that several departments went unaudited for years. The newly designated commissioner would review ongoing audit efforts and coordinate closely with the audit wing while regularly updating the standing committee on progress.
Official records show that most departmental audits have languished since 2018-19. Shockingly, only three departments managed to complete their audits in 2022-23: market management, enforcement operations, and water works. With such gaps in financial scrutiny stretching over six years, how could proper oversight be ensured?
The situation grows more precarious when considering that much of this timeline overlaps with administrator rule in NMC—from March 2022 until January 2026—when elected representatives were absent to question financial decisions or expenditures.
During the meeting, opposition corporators—including Congress members Wasim Khan and Abhijeet Jha—demanded explanations about budget approvals made without corresponding audit reports. Their accusations suggested this delay wasn’t merely administrative but possibly intentional—an effort to obscure financial irregularities within departments.
Dani did share some reasons behind this delay; she pointed out staff shortages within the audit wing as a major hurdle affecting timely reviews. “I’ve already talked with our audit officer,” she stated regarding discussions aimed at tackling these longstanding delays head-on. Moreover, she announced plans for an upcoming meeting with senior officials intended to regularize auditing processes.
In response to ongoing developments, opposition leader Sanjay Mahakalkar echoed concerns about what he termed complete collapse of financial oversight within NMC operations. He warned that if this issue isn’t resolved quickly, it might escalate into a substantial political controversy in Nagpur’s civic space.
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