IN A surprising turn of events, after months of outcry over tainted contractors, firms that were named in the recently discovered roads scam in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation were awarded contracts for construction of four bridges in the city.
The civic body’s standing committee passed the proposals on Wednesday. Even as the opposition parties staged a walkout in protest, the proposals were passed in a hurried manner.
Corporators from the opposition parties pointed out that the BJP-Sena were passing the proposals when there was no need to do so. “The BJP and Sena take a stand in front of the camera and a different one in the standing committee. They had a clear agenda of passing the proposals today though they too raised objections during discussions. Corruption has united BJP-Sena once again,” said Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party leader.
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He added that the BJP and the Sena had been arguing to claim credit for the roads enquiry and yet gave their consent to award the contracts to the tainted contractors.
Congress Corporator Asif Zakaria pointed out that the proposals could have easily been cancelled and fresh tenders could have been floated since the work on the bridges would only begin after monsoon.
“What was the hurry to pass the proposals when the work would not begin until October? What was the point of raising objections when they were going to pass the proposals any way? Instead, they have passed the proposal where the corporation will pay them 50 per cent above the given estimate,” said Zakaria.
He added that the inquiry was of no consequence and said the administration was deliberately delaying the process.
Zakaria said the delay in the process of blacklisting the contractors would ensure that the BMC would finance their earning for the next couple of years.
BJP Corporator and group leader Manoj Kotak pointed out flaws in the legal department and asked for an inquiry in the matter referring to the existing public interest litigation filed by residents of the area on the Hancock Bridge. Barring Kotak, other corporators remained silent on the issue.
The administration argued that though show-cause notices had been issued to the contractors found guilty in the desilting as well as the roads inquiry, they had not been blacklisted yet and thus were technically allowed to participate in the tendering process.
“We have issued notices to the contractors charged with shoddy work in the roads inquiry. We are in the process of blacklisting them but haven’t done so yet,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Deshmukh.
Another official from the roads department said all the major contracts in bridges and desilting were being handled by the same contractors who have been named in the roads inquiry.
Four proposals for construction of bridges, including the Hancock bridge, were tabled at the standing committee, at a cost of around Rs 30 crore. The other proposals include one from Yari Road to Lokhandwala, a rail-over-bridge at Vikhroli station and widening and reconstruction of an existing bridge in Bandra East over the Mithi river.
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Mumbai contractors tainted in roads inquiry to construct 4 bridges
Source: Indian Express