BJP alleges irregularities in Covid-19 centre contracts allotted by BMC

Devendra Fadnavis also hit out at Shiv Sena over the corruption in the BMC and the income tax raids against Yashwant Jadhav who has been facing charges of amassing disproportionate assets.

Mumbai: Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Devendra Fadnavis once again trained guns on the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Thursday over the law and order situation in the state and the corruption in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Fadnavis alleged that a leader from one of the ruling parties helped a retired police officer to settle the land deals with a Dawood Ibrahim aide a few years ago. He also said that the allotment of the contract for Covid-19 centres in Mumbai and others given for various BMC projects were corruption ladden and the charges of amassing disproportionate assets by standing committee chief Yashwant Jadhav was the testimony of the corruption in the civic body.

Devendra Fadnavis criticised Sena over the corruption in allotment of the contracts of the Covid-19 centres in Mumbai. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

Speaking on the concluding week motion moved by opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Fadnavis handed over a pen drive to home minister Dilip Walse-Patil reportedly containing the audio of conversation of former assistant police commissioner Isaac Bagwan.

Fadnavis said that the audio has not been verified by him using forensic means, but the brother of Bagwan, who is known to be the first encounter specialist from Mumbai police has made a complaint about the officer’s disproportionate property.

Fadnavis said that Bagwan, while in the service, had purchased more than 42 hectares of land in Baramati in the name of relatives. He said that the land deal was also done in the name of a Dawood Ibrahim aide and a leader from a ruling party had played a key role in the transfer of the property back to Bagwan’s name after his retirement.

Fadnavis also hit out at Shiv Sena over the corruption in the BMC and the income tax raids against Yashwant Jadhav who has been facing charges of amassing disproportionate assets.

“The standing committee chairman bought 38 properties in 24 months when the people in the city were battling with the Covid-19 pandemic. The investigating agency has seized ₹300 crore in the raids on his premises. The standing committee passed as many as 370 proposals worth ₹6,000 crore in its last meeting on March 7 the last day of the elected body. The ruling party was least bothered about the general citizens as they were busy in safeguarding their own interest,” he said.

Fadnavis also criticised Sena over the corruption in allotment of the contracts of the Covid-19 centres in Mumbai.

“The company, formed just days before the five contracts for Covid-19 centres in the city were allotted, had no experience in providing health care services. It was blacklisted by the Pune authorities for its failure in handling the Center when the pandemic was at its peak. The bid documents were designed in such a manner that the contractor would get 50% of the bed charges even if the patients were not admitted to the centres. The company shortlisted for the oxygen generation plant had registered under the GST number of a departmental store,” he said.

He also alleged that the BMC entered into an agreement with a leading builder in the city to purchase a land parcel in the western suburb for the construction of a hospital for ₹349 crore and later illegally exchanged with another piece of land for Mahul pumping station.

Responding to the allegations, Sena legislator and party’s chief whip Sunil Prabhu said, “The Covid-19 management in the city was praised by WHO, Dharavi model was appreciated across the country. The allegations of corruption is an insult to the doctors, nurses, BMC employees who worked relentlessly during the pandemic. Similar allegations were levelled by the opposition in the past too,by lodging a complaint with the governor. The governor asked Lokayukta to probe into it. The Lokayukta has given a clean chit to the BMC.”

Home minister Dilip Walse-Patil and urban development minister Eknath Shinde are expected to reply to the debate on Friday.