Sena (UBT) leader alleges corruption in Mithi desilting

Shiv Sena UBT leader Anil Parab has alleged that a tender for the Mithi River desilting work has been rigged using “restrictive practices” and selective conditions to favor a particular company, potentially causing a loss of ₹90 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena UBT leader Anil Parab has alleged that a tender for the Mithi River desilting work has been rigged using “restrictive practices” and selective conditions to favor a particular company, potentially causing a loss of ₹90 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Mumbai, India – March 19, 2024 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab, addressing the media over the Dapoli Sai Resort issue at Shivsena (UBT) office, Shivala, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

Parab said this was part of a larger atmosphere of corruption in the project, which has been underway for the last two decades. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has, in fact, been investigating irregularities and misappropriation of funds in the desilting work.

In a letter to municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Parab has pointed to an alleged attempt to rig and “cartelise tenders” for the Mithi’s desilting. “The storm water drains (SWD) department has added a specific condition towards compulsory use of ‘a 35-metre long boom’ without specifying the machine/excavator and without any prior experience of the use of a 35-metre boom in the work of desilting... This has been done to accommodate a particular company which seems to be the only company having the qualification of having manufactured a 35-metre long boom, making this a monopoly item,” alleged Parab in his letter.

He further alleged that the BMC will incur a loss of ₹90 crore if it goes ahead with the tender. “The price of such a boom with excavator is around ₹20 crore, and a total of six poclains (excavators) have been insisted by SWD officials in the recent Mithi desilting tenders, which amounts to ₹120 crore worth of machines in the ₹90 crore of desilting works. These machineries are insisted by BMC officials with an intention to rig the desilting tenders,” added Parab.

The Sena (UBT) MLC claimed this had been done without any verification or departmental scrutiny, with a clear intent to favor a specific company. “This sudden newly incorporated tender condition needs a thorough investigation, not just within the BMC but also by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), since it involves financial loss to BMC and criminal conspiracy,” said Parab in his letter.

He said he would raise the issue in the state legislature by moving a breach of privilege motion against the BMC and the contractor for their failure to respond to his letter. “The civic administration has not responded to my letter till date. Therefore, I will be taking up the issue in the upcoming assembly session and will be moving a breach of privilege motion against concerned officials,” warned Parab.

A senior BMC officer said, “BMC usually uses 22-metre booms and now it is insisting on a 30-metre boom. If there is just one company which is in the tender, we will retender.’’

The BMC, in a statement to the media on Friday, denied any irregularities in the tender process. It said the Mithi was a very wide river and hence a 35-metre boom was required and a poclaine machine to take 1.5 cubic metres was also needed, to facilitate the desilting process.

“Some persons have brought this to the notice of the high court and have challenged this. The next hearing is on March 4,” the statement said.