Mumbai : MNS corporator Sandip Deshpande has alleged corruption in a Rs 40 lakh contract which was awarded to a private agency to print dengue awareness posters. The allegation, which was later supported by Shiv Sena leader Trushna Vishwasrao, now has corporators demanding action against the concerned officials.
Wednesday’s standing committee meeting saw corporators taking up the issue of rising number of dengue cases yet again. BJP corporator Manoj Kotak said that he had written to municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte about a fortnight ago demanding action against Nitapol- the blacklisted company which was given a contract for fumigation chemical Pyrethrum. Kotak asked why the company has not been blacklisted yet.
Later, MNS corporator Sandip Deshpande brought the issue of the posters to the house’s notice. “The BMC had awarded a contract for printing 2.5 lakh posters about six months ago. After the onset of dengue, the BMC recently got 2 lakh more posters printed for Rs 20 each while the market rate is Rs 12 each. And this, despite the BMC having a printing press of its own! Had it printed these posters in the municipal press, it would have cost them just Rs 8 each.”
Shiv Sena leader Trushna Vishwasrao also complained about the posters being illegible.
Additional municipal commissioner SVR Srinivas later clarified that the municipal press does not have an adhesive (gumming) facility which prevents it from printing such posters but Deshpande asked why the BMC cannot buy gumming sheets or machines and has further demanded that action be taken against the concerned officials.
Despite Its Own Printing Press, The BMC Awards A Private Agency To Print Posters
