Cuffe Parade Scam Exposed: BMC Fakes Projects Worth ₹80+ Crore in Slum Redevelopment Shocker
In a bombshell revelation, BMC is accused of faking slum redevelopment projects worth over ₹80 crore in Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade. Probe reveals ghost tenders, bogus bills, and zero ground work
MUMBAI: South Mumbai’s affluent A Ward is once again under scrutiny over serious allegations of financial fraud and faking works in a slum improvement project funded by the BMC. The controversy centres around claims of purchase orders issued in some places but due to alleged
misappropriation of funds meant for slum improvement, no works were done in many locations, particularly in the Ambedkar Nagar slum located in Cuffe Parade, now comprising over 7,000 tenements.
Under the BMC’s beautification and slum improvement programme, purchase orders totalling ₹11.58 crore were issued between 2023 and 2025 in Ambedkar Nagar alone. Additional expenditure included ₹4 crore for Geeta Nagar starting February 2024 and ₹8 crore for Ganesh Murti Nagar, also within the same timeframe.
However, on-site visits revealed a stark mismatch between official records and ground realities, with many of the claimed projects either incomplete or entirely absent.
An inspection by Hindustan Times revealed troubling inconsistencies. At gully number 20 in Ambedkar Nagar, the BMC claimed to have spent ₹27.92 lakh on repairing a ten-seater toilet block. However, the lane is so narrow that it only accommodates two small rooms with no sign of the toilet block in question. Residents confirmed that the only ten-seater toilet block in the vicinity was located at the entry point of the slum and had been repaired prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Further inconsistencies were discovered in gully number 19 near Hanuman Mandir and gully 19A near Saibaba Mandir. Despite the BMC’s claims of having spent ₹8.57 lakh and ₹13 lakh respectively on pathway and drainage improvements, no such work was visible. Local residents said that no maintenance or development had been carried out in those areas for at least three years.
Documents reviewed by HT indicate that Pawan Kawre, an assistant engineer (maintenance), had approved the controversial purchase orders. Kawre is currently suspended, facing multiple allegations of misconduc
In a jaw-dropping expose, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stands accused of faking multiple development projects worth over ₹80 crore in the upscale yet slum-affected region of Cuffe Parade, South Mumbai. According to early findings, these projects existed only on paper — with no physical work executed on the ground.
The alleged scam has sent shockwaves across Mumbai’s civic and political circles, raising serious questions about transparency, fund misuse, and accountability within India’s richest municipal body.
Initial reports reveal that several bogus development works — ranging from road repairs, drainage construction, to slum sanitation improvements — were shown as “completed” in official records. However, when ground checks were conducted, it was discovered that:
- No physical work had been carried out
- Fake progress reports were filed
- Bogus bills were submitted and cleared
- Multiple tenders were awarded to shell contractors
₹22 crore for non-existent drainage work
₹18 crore for road repair never carried out
₹15 crore for ghost sanitation improvements
₹25 crore in miscellaneous development heads with forged site photos and bill
The fraud was uncovered during a routine audit by the BMC’s own internal vigilance team in mid-July 2025. Suspicion arose when contractors could not produce any geo-tagged evidence, completion certificates were digitally signed in bulk, and photos used in work reports were found to be stock images or reused from older unrelated projects.
An RTI activist, Prakash Sathe, also flagged irregularities after noticing that the same project code had been used for multiple tenders across wards.
Local residents and activists have expressed outrage, especially since the slum dwellers in Cuffe Parade have been struggling with open drains, garbage accumulation, and poor sanitation for years.
“We live with rats and filth, and yet the BMC claims to have spent crores on our upliftment. This is nothing short of betrayal,” said Rafiq Khan, a resident of Machhimar Nagar.
The opposition has demanded:
A CAG-level audit of BMC’s past 5 years of projects
FIRs against contractors and BMC engineers involved
Suspension of responsible ward officers
Formation of a special inquiry committee
Mumbai Congress leader called it “the biggest civic fraud in recent years,” while AAP leaders demanded a criminal probe under IPC Sections 420 and 409 (cheating and criminal breach of trust).
