| Work Detail |
A day after the abrupt termination of the Rs. 1,687 crore Cement Concrete (CC) road contract for South Mumbai, BMC Chief Iqbal Chahal announced on Thursday that the civic body will soon float a new short-term tender. New work orders are expected to be issued within the next three weeks.
Addressing demands from the BJP to file an FIR against the contractor, Ms Roadways Solutions India Infra (RSIIL), Chahal stated that there is no need for a criminal investigation since no criminal elements are identified in this case.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, a vocal critic of the BMCs 6,080-crore CC road project involving five companies, applauded the termination of the road contractor, asserting that it validates his claims of a scam. He emphasized the need for the cancellation of all five contracts, penalties for the contractors, and their blacklisting for the perceived damage to Mumbai.
Aaditya sought clarity from the municipal commissioner regarding the future plans for works in South Mumbai, questioning the timeline for appointing a new contractor and the commencement of pending road works. He raised concerns about the possibility of engaging a mega contractor similar to the one implicated in the scam.
Former BJP corporator from Colaba, Makarand Narwekar, welcomed the termination of RSIILs contract, urging the BMC to permanently blacklist the contractor across all departments in Mumbai and Maharashtra. Narwekar pressed for the immediate recovery of the Rs 52 crore penalty amount from the contractor and called for the filing of an FIR and initiation of a criminal investigation.
Samajwadi Party MLA Rai Shaikh criticized BMCs top officials, including the chief, for allegedly misleading CM Eknath Shinde about the CC road projects viability. Shaikh asserted that the project was poorly planned, advised, and executed, urging the BMC to promptly recover penalties from all contractors without delay.
The termination of the contract is perceived by many as an admission of guilt, prompting renewed calls for stringent actions against the contractors involved in the controversial project. |
