The Anti-Corruption Branch of the Delhi Government has initiated investigations into a complaint alleging presence of 22,853 “ghost employees” on the payrolls of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, causing a huge loss to the Exchequer.
According to sources, investigations have been taken up on the basis of a complaint lodged by non-government organisation Jagrook Welfare Society. Confirming that such a complaint had been filed a few weeks ago, the NGO’s president Shiv Kumar Tiwari said it was a serious matter and needed to be thoroughly investigated by a law enforcement agency.
“The MCD had last year disclosed that a large number of ghost employees were found on its payrolls. Since then the matter has been taken up at various forums but no concrete action has been taken so far. Everyone said the matter was serious but no investigating agency was involved in identifying the guilty persons,” said Mr. Tiwari, adding that the organisation decided to lodge a complaint with the ACB as the issue involved public money.
In a statement last November the MCD had stated that it had unearthed 22,853 “ghost employees” going by the details gathered through the biometric system of attendance. It had also said that these “employees” had been costing a loss of Rs.17 crore per month to the Exchequer. A committee comprising five additional commissioners was set up last September to verify the findings at the zonal levels. It has been compiling data from all the 12 zonal offices to ascertain the ground reality. The final report is yet to be submitted.