Aaditya seeks probe into alleged cement road scam in city

Aaditya Thackeray urges CM Fadnavis to launch an EOW inquiry into alleged irregularities in Mumbai's cement road construction, citing complaints from all parties.

MUMBAI: After members of the BJP as well as the opposition raised the issue of alleged irregularities in the construction of cement roads in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday wrote a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking an inquiry by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

Aaditya seeks probe into alleged cement road scam in city

In the letter, Aaditya said he had been raising the issue of irregularities in cement road work tenders in Mumbai since 2023-24, and added that elected representatives, even from the ruling parties, had complained about these. Requesting an inquiry by the EOW, the Sena (UBT) leader asked for action to be taken against “the contractors, officers and others responsible for corruption”.

“Wherever cement road work is going on, the roads are blocked, causing dust pollution,” Aaditya told the media. “More serious is the fact that in the name of cement roads, these people are looting the BMC. We will not let this happen. I have written to CM Fadnavis again and demanded an inquiry and action against those who are guilty.”

On Friday, Mumbai MLAs from not just the opposition but even the ruling BJP raised the issue of the quality of cement road construction and demanded a probe by a special investigation team. Even assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar expressed unhappiness over the road construction work delay in his constituency, Colaba.

As the contracts were given when Eknath Shinde was the chief minister and also minister for urban development, which controls local civic bodies, including the BMC, the demand by BJP MLAs is being seen as a BJP attack on Shinde.

Aaditya, who is an MLA from Worli, has himself been raising the issue of alleged irregularities in Mumbai’s road construction work for the past couple of years.