BJP legislators take aim at Shinde over Thane coastal road project | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: Just as the cold war between chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde seemed to have cooled, the BJP fired another salvo at the Shiv Sena chief.

BJP members in the legislative council on Tuesday alleged corruption in the contract for the construction of the coastal road in Thane, adding that the alleged corruption had pushed up the project cost by ₹1,411 crore in just three years. They also demanded that the contract be probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The project had been approved when Shinde was chief minister and also headed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in his capacity as urban development minister. Moreover, the project relates to Shinde’s home turf, having been elected from Kopri-Pachpakhadi in Thane.

Shiv Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai refuted the allegations of corruption and also turned down the demand for an SIT probe. Since the BJP members wouldn’t back down, a meeting was held in the chamber of legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde, to discuss details of the project.

The BJP MLCs who raised the issue were Pravin Darekar, Prasad Lad and Niranjan Davkhare, alleging that corruption had escalated the project cost from ₹1,316 crore in 2021 to ₹2,727 crore in 2024. Firing a series of questions, Darekar remarked, “How can the project cost double and be approved by the authorities? Is the government going to reconsider the tender process and will it cancel the tender,” he asked.

Minister of state for urban development Madhuri Misal said there were no irregularities in the tender process, and ₹1,316 crore was an estimate before other works, such as pedestrian bridges, had been finalised. This has raised the project’s cost, she claimed.

But the BJP members were not convinced. Darekar insisted that there was corruption involved, while Lad demanded an SIT probe into the tender process. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sachin Ahir asked if someone had taken a 20% bribe before awarding the tender.

After the BJP members grilled Misal, Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai, who has been authorised by Shinde to answer questions relating to the urban development department, intervened. “When primary estimates were made for the project, the District Schedule of Rates (DSR) of 2021 was considered. But, with the inclusion of additional works and a hike in DSR, when the project was finally approved by MMRDA in early 2024, the estimated cost went up to ₹3,364 crore. In September 2024, MMRDA approved the tender of ₹2,727 crore, of M/S Nagyug Engineering Company, the lowest bidder,” Desai attempted to explain. He also refused the demand for an SIT probe and said the government was prepared to provide detailed information on the project.

Since the BJP members were dissatisfied, legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde intervened, and it was decided that a meeting would be held in his chambers on the issue.