Yavatmal: Yavatmal MP Bhavana Gawali of Shiv Sena on Thursday demanded chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and water supply minister Babanrao Lonikar to order a high-level inquiry into alleged corruption in the multicrore Amrut Yojana 24X7 drinking water supply project for Yavatmal city.
According to Gawali, Nashik based Alke Construction Company, which has been given contract for the scheme to which the centre and state governments have provided Rs302 crore, does not have any experience of implementing such a big project. She also alleged that the company does not have infrastructure to test the quality of water pipes being laid.
When water from Bembla project was released through the pipes for 5km on an experimental basis, the pipes busted on two attempts, causing heavy damages to farms in the vicinity.
Gawali said the incident proved that the pipes being used were of sub-standard quality. “The trenches dug for laying pipes were also not as per specification,” she said.
“Blacklist the contractor and lodge FIR under IPC,” she said, adding that it is necessary to order a quality test by an expert team before the scheme is launched to ensure safety of life and property.
Municipal council chief Kanchan Chaudhari and some prominent persons from the city have already alleged rampant corruption in the work.
District guardian minister Madan Yerawar, who had earlier assured to bring water from Bembla by April 30 and later by May 10, has given a new deadline of October 2019 for commissioning the project.