Mumbai: After Pankaja Munde, another Maharashtra minister has been accused of corruption in awarding contracts. Bhartiya Janata Party is now once again in trouble as the state’s finance department raised objections to a contract awarded by Education Minister Vinod Tawde for the purchase of fire extinguishers for Zilla Parishad schools.
As per newspaper reports, the School Education Department has been accused of awarding a contract worth Rs 191 crore without following the e-tendering process. That contract was cleared by state Education Minister Vinod Tawde.
However, the contract was put on hold after objections were raised by the senior bureaucrats of finance department on March 4.
The matter pertains to the supply of fire extinguishers to 62,105 zilla parishad schools in Maharashtra.
The report stated that the contract was given to Thane-based Reliable Fire Engineers on February 27.
The report also said the finance department observed that the dealer who was allotted the work was not on the government’s rate contract list and only 19 crore were allotted in the budget to purchase miscellaneous items for zilla parishad schools.
According to a Finance Department note reported by The Indian Express, “Official communications show that the orders were issued following Tawde’s directives dated January 6.”
BJP leader Nalin Kohli while reacting on the issue, said, “You cannot taint people just on the basis of allegations and should show the proof.”
Meanwhile, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and activist Anjali Damania criticized Tawde for awarding contracts without proper tenders and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs have off late been busy in collecting the funds spent during the assembly polls.
Damania said, “BJP MLAs are busy in collecting the expenses that they incurred in the polls. How did Vinod Tawde order 62105? Fire extinguishers without tenders? It is absolutely wrong.”
Tawde has, meanwhile, rubbished the allegations stating the contract has already been put on hold following objections by the Finance Department and that no money has been paid so far.
He further said that the file regarding the contract was first moved during the previous Congress-NCP government. The then Education Minister Rajendra Darda had also favoured the contract, he added.
Bureau Report
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