Fadnavis: Richest corporation 45th in financial management… corruption in every BMC scheme

Speaking on the Opposition’s last week’s proposal in the Legislative Assembly, Fadnavis targeted the Shiv Sena on various issues, including corruption in the BMC and the law and order situation prevailing in the state.

“The richest corporation in the country has been ranked 45th in financial management. Only loot of money is going on. There was huge corruption in Covid-19 centres. The company, which was blacklisted in Pune in 15 days, was given works worth Rs 100 crore for five Covid-19 centres in Mumbai. Also, the three companies hired for the medical oxygen supply were blacklisted,” said Fadnavis.

He alleged that from Covid-19 centres to procurement of materials, there is corruption in every scheme of the BMC. “There was mismanagement of funds in the purchase of face masks, sanitisers, face shields, remdesivar and issuance of contracts,” he claimed.

Fadnavis also raised the issue of alleged scam in the tendering process of the Mumbai sewage treatment plant project. “While the average cost across India was Rs 1.7 crore per million litre, BMC floated the tender with a cost Rs 7.47 crore per million litre. The BMC has received a huge setback in the Supreme Court, which is now monitoring the process. We will also keep an eye on it,” he added.

He took on former standing committee chairman of BMC, Sena’s Yashwant Jadhav, for his alleged unaccounted assets worth Rs 300 crore. “Jadhav bought 38 properties in 24 months while people were dying in the pandemic,” he alleged.

Fadnavis also questioned the state government for closing the investigation – which was in the final stage – into an online scam that allegedly looted people’s money and used the same for terrorist activities and drug trafficking.

“Amber, a native of Pune, who currently resides in Mira Bhayander, has deceived many people and is lodged in a Thane jail. He is also a hawala agent and launders money for Dawood Ibrahim. Along with him, Tia Sunar, Nilesh Shetty, Arpit Chaturvedi, Pratyush Kumar Singh and Nikhil Kasbe are an organised gang with more than 300 members working in eight states, involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. It is suspected that some of the ISIS operatives were involved in this and provided money to the terrorists. This is a serious case. While the Pune Police was completing its investigation, now it is being planned to close the probe. On whose order is this happening? The NIA should investigate the matter,” said Fadnavis. The government is expected to reply to the charges on Friday.