MUMBAI: Days after the BMC once again terminated Roadway Solutions India Infrastructure Ltd’s (RSIIL) Rs 1600 crore Cement Concrete (CC) road contract and directed that the company pay the total penalty of Rs 64.60 crore within a period of 30 days, the BJP has demanded that the company be blacklisted while the Shiv Sena (UBT) asked why the contractor has now finally been terminated but not yet blacklisted and no FIR filed against the company.
Former BJP Corporator from Colaba, Makarand Narwekar on Monday, wrote to BMC chief Iqbal Chahal demanding permanent blacklisting and FIR against RSIIL for failure to commence road repair work in the island city.
After the BMC terminated RSIIL’s contract in November, RSIIL approached the Bombay High Court against the BMC order. The HC asked the BMC to appoint a senior office to hear the matter again. Last week, BMC gave a fresh hearing and passed an order terminating the contract and imposing a penalty of Rs 64 crore. Officials said the BMC is expected to float new CC road tenders worth Rs 6250 crores for another 400 kms of roads.
Expressing shock over the order, Narwekar said that there is no mention of blacklisting or permanently blacklisting the contractor in the order. “It is utterly surprising how BMC could not blacklist the contractor who did not show any interest in commencing the work. It has caused a huge loss to the civic body and the Mumbaikars,” Narwekar said.
“The BMC needs to set an example that no contractor can take the civic body for a ride. Hence, I demand that the BMC must permanently blacklist the contract and file an FIR against it,” Narwekar added.
Aaditya also wrote to Chahal. “The question is, will you blacklist that contractor now and file an FIR or will you be kind to the contractor friend of the illegal CM? Furthermore, as if this one loot of Mumbai wasn’t enough, the BMC is now forced by the Khoke Sarkar (moneybags government) to issue even a larger tender for roads. What is disgustingly brazen about this corruption is that it is an open and shut case for the loot of the city. The roads of 2022-23 have been apparently asked to go slow, 2023-24 have not started (since 2023), and now a tender for 2024 is coming out with an even larger spending outlay,” Aaditya said in his letter.
“While I will oppose the new tender of 2024, which will again be skewed in favour of a few favourite contractors, and will explore all legal means, I have specific demands: No contractor from the current tender who hasn’t finished more than 90% of the work order for the tender of January 2023 be allowed to participate. No contractor who hasn’t paid their due penalty be allowed to participate. Immediately set a timeline for payment of the penalties on contractors, blacklist them, and withhold their due payment from the BMC,” Aaditya added in his letter.
Former BJP Corporator from Colaba, Makarand Narwekar on Monday, wrote to BMC chief Iqbal Chahal demanding permanent blacklisting and FIR against RSIIL for failure to commence road repair work in the island city.
After the BMC terminated RSIIL’s contract in November, RSIIL approached the Bombay High Court against the BMC order. The HC asked the BMC to appoint a senior office to hear the matter again. Last week, BMC gave a fresh hearing and passed an order terminating the contract and imposing a penalty of Rs 64 crore. Officials said the BMC is expected to float new CC road tenders worth Rs 6250 crores for another 400 kms of roads.
Expressing shock over the order, Narwekar said that there is no mention of blacklisting or permanently blacklisting the contractor in the order. “It is utterly surprising how BMC could not blacklist the contractor who did not show any interest in commencing the work. It has caused a huge loss to the civic body and the Mumbaikars,” Narwekar said.
“The BMC needs to set an example that no contractor can take the civic body for a ride. Hence, I demand that the BMC must permanently blacklist the contract and file an FIR against it,” Narwekar added.
Aaditya also wrote to Chahal. “The question is, will you blacklist that contractor now and file an FIR or will you be kind to the contractor friend of the illegal CM? Furthermore, as if this one loot of Mumbai wasn’t enough, the BMC is now forced by the Khoke Sarkar (moneybags government) to issue even a larger tender for roads. What is disgustingly brazen about this corruption is that it is an open and shut case for the loot of the city. The roads of 2022-23 have been apparently asked to go slow, 2023-24 have not started (since 2023), and now a tender for 2024 is coming out with an even larger spending outlay,” Aaditya said in his letter.
“While I will oppose the new tender of 2024, which will again be skewed in favour of a few favourite contractors, and will explore all legal means, I have specific demands: No contractor from the current tender who hasn’t finished more than 90% of the work order for the tender of January 2023 be allowed to participate. No contractor who hasn’t paid their due penalty be allowed to participate. Immediately set a timeline for payment of the penalties on contractors, blacklist them, and withhold their due payment from the BMC,” Aaditya added in his letter.