Aaditya Thackeray seeks probe into BMC road contracts during Shinde’s tenure

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which has been under a State-appointed administrator since civic elections were delayed in early 2022, has yet to respond to these allegations

Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has called for the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to investigate alleged irregularities in road construction contracts awarded by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during Eknath Shinde’s tenure as Chief Minister.

Mr. Thackeray also demanded that Mr. Shinde and former guardian Ministers Deepak Kesarkar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha be excluded from the current government, citing their involvement during the period in question.

The Shiv Sena(UBT) leader accused the Shinde-led administration of fostering cartelisation in awarding road contracts, especially when Mr. Shinde also held the Urban Development portfolio. “The BJP has sought a SIT probe into these contracts, but we insist on an EOW investigation,” he said.

Mr. Shinde, now Deputy Chief Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet, previously served as Chief Minister before the Mahayuti coalition’s landslide win in the November 20 Assembly election.

Mr. Thackeray also criticised a reported move by the BMC to impose a user fee per flat for waste collection, calling it a ploy to “loot Mumbai”. He emphasised that the garbage collection service had been free when the undivided Shiv Sena controlled the civic body from 1997 to 2022.

“The BMC has a civic obligation to provide free waste collection services. This proposed user fee is an attempt to exploit Mumbai residents,” he alleged, citing a news report on the issue.

The BMC, which has been under a State-appointed administrator since civic elections were delayed in early 2022, has yet to respond to these allegations.

Published - December 14, 2024 09:51 pm IST