Report finds ₹8-cr scam in TMC theme park projet

The all-party committee in the controversial Old Thane New Thane theme park project has finally tabled its report in the general body and has pegged the corruption

The all-party committee in the controversial Old Thane New Thane theme park project has finally tabled its report in the general body and has pegged the corruption amount at ₹8 crore. However, in their bid to take credit for the report, political parties played blame game leading to confusion in the general body meeting on Tuesday.

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Amid the chaos, there was no discussion on the report or any further course of action on it. A BJP versus Shiv Sena-NCP battle for credit was witnessed in the house, reflecting the ongoing political scenario in the state.

In September last year, the irregularities in the Old Thane New Thane theme park were raised in the general body meeting. The Opposition highlighted how the murals and models were different than those proposed. The bill paid was much more than the actual cost of the park.

An inquiry committee was formed on October 26 last year to probe the irregularities.

For almost a year, the report of the committee was delayed. It was tabled in the general body on Tuesday.

BJP corporator Narayan Pawar had already revealed it to some sections of the media on Monday, before it was formally submitted, leading to a huge ruckus in the house.

While Pawar tried to take credit for unveiling the corruption, he was slammed by the NCP, which claimed that they were the first to raise the issue.

NCP corporator Najib Mullah said, “Those who had exposed the corruption and studied the technical aspect of the project to prepare a report on the theme park are sidetracked while some people who had zero contribution in the report are trying to take credit. The BJP, who is taking credit, should also answer why they suddenly stopped pursuing the issue midway?”

Shiv Sena also bashed the BJP for taking undue credit for the report. The NCP-Sena seems to have joined forces to corner the BJP in the civic house on Tuesday.

Pawar said, “We had to release the report as it was unnecessarily delayed and no one was ready to sign it. Only after we released it, the committee was forced to sign and table it in the general body or else it would have being postponed further.”

The report was not read out or discussed in the general body as there was a ruckus.

The report revealed that the theme park project led to ₹8-crore scam. The tenders were given to a particular company, while the murals and statues installed in the park were much smaller than stated in the invoice.

The report findings:

• The proposal of theme park, tabled in the general body in November 2015, had three options for funding. In each of the option, only 50% of the cost was from TMC funds. It was not mentioned that TMC will bear cost of the entire project. However, ₹15.9 crore was used from the TMC coffers.

• Out of the three bidders, two were by the same company while there is no data anywhere of the third company. Despite these obvious facts, there was no re-bid

• The consultant appointed for the theme park was supposed to give a plan and design of the park. However, no such plan or design was submitted and an estimate of ₹15.9 crore was given without any design.

• The budget estimate is much more than the actual cost of the park.

• The murals and statue installed in the park are smaller than those promised and billed on paper

• The entire project has led to corruption of ₹8 crore or more of the taxpayers money.