The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday said there have been no financial irregularities in the process of setting up oxygen plants in 12 civic hospitals.
Owing to heavy demand for medical oxygen during the second wave of the pandemic, the BMC in May had said it will set up plants in civic-run hospitals. Earlier this week, guardian minister of Mumbai (city) Aslam Shaikh had sought a probe into the project, alleging the estimated costs were inflated. Earlier this month, senior BJP corporator and group leader of the party in the BMC, Vinod Mishra had also alleged that tainted companies were being given the contract to set up the plants.
Meanwhile, the BMC in its statement on Saturday said budgeting was done after proper research work and rates were compared on the e-market space of the Central government.
The statement reads, “The BMC administration conducted an open e-tender process… We received responses from three potential suppliers. Among them, Messrs. Highway Construction Company met all the criteria in the tender and became eligible.”
The BMC said, “Messrs Highway Construction Company has named Messrs Unice India Pvt. Ltd. as the original manufacturer of the plant. It has been also alleged that Sawai Mansingh Hospital in Jaipur (Rajasthan) had blacklisted Messrs Unice India, despite knowing that the BMC administration had approved this company, and there is no fact in this allegation.”
The BMC also said that the proposal has already been cleared by the standing committee and all plants will become operational within the next 30 days.
