Alleged scam in road concretisation: Devendra Fadnavis hits back at Uddhav Sena

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reviews preparations ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit, on Wednesday. Pic/Twitter

Amid allegations of a scam in concretisation of city roads, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the Shiv Sena (UBT), the ruling party in the BMC for almost three decades, was concerned about not being able to make money through "corruption".

"People who have spent their lifetimes scamming citizens are upset for the first time. They fear that if the roads are made of concrete, it won't be possible to rework on them for the next 40 years. It was a practice then to lay bitumen (asphalt) roads every year. And, a probe found that some 200 (bitumen) roads did not have the inner layer. The people who have done such jobs are now concerned that concrete roads will pull the shutters down on their 25-year-old dukandari (shop)," the deputy CM said after reviewing the preparedness for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public rally to be held at the BKC ground on Thursday.

CM Eknath Shinde returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos while Fadnavis inspected the arrangements for the PM's visit.

Fadnavis said the people would give an appropriate response to the unwarranted cry against the incumbent administration.

Also Read: Dy CM Fadnavis takes 'loss of percentage' jibe after Aaditya Thackeray questions Mumbai road concretisation tenders

Fadnavis was reacting to Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray's allegations of scam in the Rs 6,000-crore road tendering. MVA parties, including the Congress, have alleged that the PM was invited to launch or inaugurate development projects that were conceived during their regime.

"People who speak now should know the Metro's foundation was laid by the PM. The sewage treatment plants were cleared during our period (Fadnavis's erstwhile government), and yet, the projects were not started because these people wanted their cuts to be decided. I had been telling them that tendering should be done because the discharge standards were set and all clearances were in place. And now, the BMC, under the leadership of CM Shinde, has issued work orders," he said, adding that the Opposition has no right to stake a claim to the projects.

Fadnavis said, "If it was in their hands, they would have delayed the STPs for another 15 years just to make their cuts. In fact, this project should have been completed 15 years ago. They haven't even been able to complete BRIMSTOWAD (storm water disposal system), and yet they are levelling allegations of corruption against us."

Earlier, Thackeray had demanded the scrapping of the tenders for the road works, alleging 48 per cent cost escalation. He had said that the 400 km of roads, if concretised, will create environmental damage to the city. Party spokesperson Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday that the projects were finalised by his party's government (in the state and BMC).

City Congress president Bhai Jagtap said that Modi had been invited to the city to mask the failures of the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Some projects were planned during the Congress government and the rest were designed during the MVA regime, he said. "The people are being misled by the present government. The people are not going to vote for the ruling parties in the forthcoming civic and local body polls. Their defeat is certain and hence they have postponed the elections. Tomorrow's event is a publicity stunt."

The ruling and Opposition parties will have another opportunity to lock horns in the February 27 Assembly bypolls, which are to be held in Kasba Peth in Pune and neighbouring Chinchwad. Both segments were held by the BJP, but the demise of sitting MLAs - Mukta Tilak (Peth) and Laxman Jagtap (Chinchwad) - necessitated the elections. The Election Commission notified the process for seven bypolls, including five in other states, on Wednesday.

Rs 6Kcr
Estimated cost of road concretisation