Uddhav hints at graft in PCMC smart city works

On Friday, the chief minister, speaking in the Assembly, questioned the Opposition on its claim of corruption in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. “If the Opposition is claiming that there was corruption in the BMC, then what about Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation where BJP rules?” he asked.

Though the CM did not elaborate further, Sulbha Ubale, Shiv Sena leader from Pimpri-Chinchwad, said, “The CM was referring to the corruption in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Smart City Works Ltd which was set up by the BJP-ruled corporation. The Sena has first raised the issue of corruption in the smart city works more than three months ago. Our leader Sanjay Raut had even submitted documents to the Enforcement Directorate to carry out a probe into the allegations of corruption. However, the ED has not taken any action in the matter so far. This is because the BJP rules the PCMC.”

The BJP, however, refuted the allegations of corruption and challenged the CM to conduct a probe. Namdeo Dhake, BJP house leader in PCMC, said, “Instead of making allegations, why doesn’t the CM launch a probe? We are ready for any sort of probe. When the allegations were first made a few months back, we had made the same demand for a probe. We have nothing to hide. This is because there was no corruption whatsoever in the smart city works.”

Ubale said it’s not just the Shiv Sena, even BJP’s own corporators had made allegations of corruption in the smart city works. “A few of them who quit the BJP themselves made allegations of corruption in the smart city works. It is, therefore, clear that there was corruption in the smart city works,” she said.

BJP corporator Seema Savale, who was the first to make allegations of corruption in the smart city works, last year said, “I had demanded a probe in this regard. I had even written a letter to the chief minister seeking a probe. I request him to do so at the earliest now that he has spoken out badly.”

Ubale said the Central government has launched a probe into the allegations of corruption in smart city works being implemented by the Thane Municipal Corporation which is ruled by Shiv Sena. “Since the smart city works is a project of the Central government, it is probing the allegations in Thane civic body. When it can launch a probe against the Thane civic body, why can’t it do so in Pimpri-Chinchwad. The Centre is fighting shy of a probe because the PCMC is ruled by the BJP. The Centre is clearly applying double standards,” she said.

Ubale said they expect the state government to carry out its own probe in the matter. “The Centre will not act against its own party-ruled civic body. Therefore, the state government should itself act in the matter,” she said.