BMC awards road contracts worth Rs 227 crore to tainted contractors

Despite the recent uproar and investigations, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday awarded road contracts worth Rs 227 crore to tainted contractors.

While the Congress opposed the proposal in the standing committee meeting, the BJP allowed the passage of the proposal by voting in favour of it.

The road scam rocked the BMC last year. After an enquiry report submitted by a 3-member committee, FIRs were filed against six contractors viz J Kumar, RPS Infra, Mahavir Constructions, R K Madhani, K R construction and Relcon Infraprojects Ltd. Besides, FIR were filed against two third-party auditors while two civic officials were suspended.

However, there was uproar in the committee when the short of companies chosen for a Rs 227-crore proposal for repairs and construction of bridges included two of these tainted firms.

The proposal had come up before the standing committee for discussion on Wednesday. According to it, RPS was shortlisted for a Rs 56 crore contract for constructing a bridge over Mithi river and also for another Rs 55 crore contract for the construction of a bridge in Vikhroli. J Kumar has been shortlisted for a Rs 55 crore contract for the construction of Hancock bridge. It was also shortlisted for a Rs 60 crore contract of a flyover on Yari Foad.

A tender committee shortlists a contractor based on a bidding process and sends the recommendation to the standing committee. The committee is then supposed to discuss the proposal and vote on it.

In Wednesday's meeting, Congress leader Pravin Chheda opposed the proposal and staged a walkout. But the BJP did not do so and voted in favor of the proposal. Thus, it was passed by a majority of the Sena-BJP combine.

These contractors have not been blacklisted yet.