Is the Maharashtra Twin Tunnel and Elevated Road Project a Major Scam?

Mumbai, May 31 (NationPress) The opposition parties, Shiv Sena-UBT and Congress, in Maharashtra have alleged that a significant scam exists in the Thane-Godbunder-Bhayander twin tunnel and elevated road project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 14,000 crore.

“Will Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde face removal from office and will an inquiry be initiated into this alleged scam?” questioned Aaditya Thackeray, a leader of SS-UBT, during a press briefing that followed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)'s statement to the Supreme Court. The MMRDA's statement came during a hearing regarding a petition from L&T, indicating that both tenders would be annulled, and a new tender process would begin to protect the broader public interest.

“I commend the court... I also extend my congratulations to the contractor L&T. There is no need for political interference. I had raised this issue last year as well,” Thackeray remarked on Saturday.

“The anticipated cost for these twin projects was Rs 14,000 crore, yet the contract process was supposed to conclude within just 20 days. There’s a brief tender notification for landslides and damaged walls, but how can such a short notice be appropriate for such a significant project? When L&T approached the court, the MMRDA claimed they were extending the contract period to 60 days instead of 20 days,” he added.

“This all commenced for a preferred contractor. At that time, I didn’t anticipate it would evolve into such a substantial scam. There was a settlement against the government for a contract. However, today’s court case has reinforced my belief that ‘Satyamev Jayate’ will prevail. The evidence is clear that this was a scam. Just because the contract was later canceled by court order, it does not negate the existence of a scam,”

he asserted.

“The ED and IT-D are being sidelined. I challenge the Chief Minister - will you investigate the corrupt Nath Shinde? He must have received bribes and issued threats. Fadnavis claims we require clean governance. Shinde oversees the urban development department... he issues directives to facilitate scams. Will you conduct an investigation against him? Will he be expelled?” Thackeray probed.

He argued that Fadnavis does not need Shinde as Ajit Pawar is allied with him. “So will the investigation exclude Shinde?” he queried.

Meanwhile, Harshwardhan Sapkal, president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, claimed there’s been corruption amounting to Rs 3,000 crore in the Thane-Godbunder-Bhayander twin tunnel and elevated road projects. He accused CM Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde of accepting bribes related to these projects.

“The cancellation of the tender by MMRDA does not conclude the matter, as the core issue revolves around corruption. Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde have established a corruption corridor in the state, involving various state undertakings like MMRDA, MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority), CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation), and SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority). This circle of corruption has become increasingly active since Eknath Shinde assumed the role of Chief Minister. To facilitate this, preferred officers are appointed to execute the favourite contractor scheme,” Sapkal alleged.