Mumbai: Aaditya Thackeray raises concerns about irregularities in BMC's ₹263 crore street furniture tender

Aaditya Thackeray, the former Maharashtra Minister, has written a letter to Iqbal Singh Chahal, the Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai, raising concerns about irregularities in financial transactions and processes within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Thackeray has specifically raised questions about the street furniture mess in Mumbai, which has reportedly been created to benefit one contractor friend of the BMC and those in government.

Aaditya: Questions regarding the tender remain unanswered

The former Minister has alleged that the BMC has issued a ₹263 crore tender for street furniture to this particular contractor, but many key questions regarding the tender have gone unanswered.

In the letter, Thackeray has sought clarity on the process followed by the BMC for issuing the tender, as well as the itemized market cost of the items required to be supplied by the contractor.

He has also asked why it is necessary for the contractor to buy all the 13 items required by the BMC and what items have been called for through the purchase and in what quantities.

Demand for access to report of three-member fact-finding committee

Moreover, Thackeray has requested access to the report of the three-member fact-finding committee formed after the allegations were made by VITI's quality testing report of all bidders, remarks of the roads and traffic department of the BMC, and remarks of the urban planners/consultants on the requirements of the same, and whether the urban planners were picked through an Expression of Interest (EOI) or arbitrarily.

Thackeray has further alleged that the entire process seems to be rigged in favor of a particular contractor friend of the BMC and has called for a demonstration of each item and quality testing again by all bidders.

This letter comes amid rising concerns about corruption and irregularities in the BMC.