India, April 30 -- Allegations of cost inflation and procedural irregularities in the desilting of the Mithi River surfaced in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC's) Standing Committee on Wednesday, after NCP corporator Dr Saeeda Khan flagged suspected manipulation in the handling and measurement of excavated material.

Raising a point of order, the corporator from Kurla claimed that construction debris was being mixed with river silt, artificially increasing its weight and leading to inflated payments by the BMC.

Calling it a case of fleecing taxpayers, Khan questioned the authenticity of the desilting exercise and said, "The taxpayers' money is being misused. In the name of desilting, there is always clay, silt and debris fou...