Maharashtra: BJP alleges graft in tendering of COVID-19 care centres

Mumbai: BJP leaders, including former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, staged a protest outside the Vidhan Bhavan here on Thursday over alleged corruption in the tendering process of COVID-19 care centres in the state.

One of the banners that the BJP leaders held read: "Condemn the government which spent Rs 3.77 crore more than expected expenditure for Covid Care Centres." The leaders of the opposition party in the state did not name the centres where the alleged corruption took place.

BJP leaders, including Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Girish Mahajan and Ashish Shelar, also raised slogans against the Shiv Sena-led state government. The budget session of the state Assembly began on March 1. On Tuesday, Fadnavis, speaking in the Legislative Assembly, alleged corruption in the measures taken by the Maharashtra government in handling the COVID-19 situation in the state.

He had also referred to a central survey and said the number of COVID-19 deaths in Maharashtra could have been lesser by 30,900 and the cases by 9.55 lakh had the state government handled the situation properly. Maharashtra's COVID-19 caseload is 21,79,185 and the fatality count is 52,280 as on March 3, as per state health department.