Why is BMC taking long to collect penalties from contractors, asks Aaditya

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray questions BMC's failure to recover ₹200 crore in penalties from road contractors and warns of opposition to new tenders in 2024 if the issue is not resolved. Thackeray also criticizes BMC's mismanagement and lack of response to his previous letters.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has written to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner I S Chahal, questioning the failure of the civic administration to recover ₹200 crore in penalties from four road contractors who had not fulfilled the conditions in road construction tenders issued last year.

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The Worli MLA also warned that he would oppose the new tenders in 2024 if the contractors who had not finished more than 90% of work in the last one year participated in the process.

“I will oppose the new tenders in 2024 which will again be skewed in favour of a few favourites. No contractors who have not finished more than 90% of the work order issued in January 2023 should be allowed to participate this year. Similarly, no contractor who has not paid the penalty should be allowed to participate. Set a timeline for recovering the penalties from contractors; if they failed, do blacklist them and withhold their payment from the civic body,” Thackeray said in his letter which he shared on social media on Monday.

The mismanagement at the BMC over the past two years has raised doubts on the capabilities of those heading it in the absence of elected representatives, he said.

He said ever since he exposed the mega road scam involving ₹6,000 crore in January 2023, the BMC has not answered his letters. He also pointed out that one contractor has been twice terminated and south Mumbai roads show zero progress due to the faulty tender.

“Will you blacklist that contractor and file an FIR, or you will be kind to the contractor friend of the illegal CM?” he asked.