Mumbai: When the discussion on department-wise budgetary demands began in the Assembly on Thursday, former Revenue minister Eknath Khadse was waiting for his turn to take on his usual target: the general administration department (GAD) headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. But this time, Mr. Khadse alleged a scam in the awarding of tender for killing of rats in Mantralaya.
The senior BJP leader said documents suggest the department had killed 31 rats per minute. “The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had killed six lakh rats in two years, but the company, which was given the contract by the government to kill rats in Mantralaya, eliminated 3,19,400 rodents in a week. Is it even possible?”
The bill and the supervisory book, Mr. Khadse said, show the elimination was done in seven days. “Looking at the numbers, it is estimated that around 45,628.57 rats were killed per day. While 1,901.19 rats were killed in an hour, 31.68 were eliminated in a minute. The weight of the dead rats is 9.125 tonne. Will the government show where the dead rats were dumped?” he asked.
Mr. Khadse further said the duration of work mentioned in the tender is six months, while it is two months in the work order. “Why this variation?”
He demanded a probe into the tender process for the rats’ killing.
Referring to farmer Dhrama Patil’s suicide, the former minister alleged that Patil had consumed the poison, which was brought to Mantralaya for rat killing. “How was it brought in without the permission from the Home department and the GAD?”
Meanwhile, the government has taken cognizance of the alleged rat killing scam. Madan Yerawar, Minister of State for GAD, said he will apprise the members of the House of the rat elimination figures.
