BJP silent as ‘tainted’ firm gets ₹6.5-cr. civic contract

Mumbai: The BMC Standing Committee on Monday passed a proposal to award a waste management contract worth ₹6.5 crore to a ‘tainted’ contractor. The proposal had been opposed by the BJP last week, but the party was silent during its passing by the committee.

On May 9, the BMC’s bid to award the contract to M/s Kaviraj MBB Waste Management Ltd had been opposed by Standing Committee member and BJP corporator Prabhakar Shinde. He had referred to a pending inquiry against a Solid Waste Management Department official, and claimed Kaviraj MBB is linked to Kaviraj Infratech, a company blacklisted in the nullah cleaning scam. He had also sought to know why an allegedly blacklisted contractor was being awarded work, leading to the decision on the proposal being deferred.

The BMC has said the companies are separate entities as they have since different directors, and are entitled to bid for the contract, which the BMC can give to them. The contract is for collecting 650 metric tonnes of waste from the Mahalaxmi Refuse Transfer Station and transporting it to a dumping ground. When bids were called after the previous contract expired on May 8, Kaviraj MBB has emerged the lowest bidder.

Different directors: BMC

In Monday’s meeting, the civic administration informed the BJP that the inquiry is ongoing and a report is awaited. Its legal opinion was put forth before the committee, which said blacklisting is applicable only to the director, executive director and authorised signatory (of Kaviraj Infratech), whose names are included in the civic blacklist. It says these individuals are only minority shareholders in Kaviraj MBB and not directors, so the firm cannot be prevented from bidding.

Yashwant Jadhav, Standing Committee chairman and Shiv Sena corporator, said, “Everyone was satisfied by the administration’s clarification. It is legal to give this company the work as it has no connection to the other one. That is why we passed the proposal.”

Mr. Shinde said he hadn’t attended the meeting, while committee member and BJP corporator Manoj Kotak, who was present, didn’t object to the proposal.