Once in power, will scrap BMC's road construction contracts given to select contractors: Aaditya

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday said contracts awarded by the Mumbai civic body to a cartel of contractors for the road construction will be scrapped when Maha Vikas Aghadi comes to power after elections.

Thackeray alleged the state government intends to release a portion of funds under the advanced mobilisation category which is a ploy to siphon off the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's money.

"The BMC has again awarded contracts of Rs 6,000 crore to five contractors who are very close to the illegal chief minister of Maharashtra. The advance payment of funds was never required and we will oppose it. After coming to power in November, our (MVA) government will cancel all these contracts," he told reporters.

The former minister claimed the work orders given to contractors in the last couple of years are still incomplete and road construction is going on.

"In such a situation why the government hurried to issue fresh contracts? When the earlier works are still incomplete, what is so urgent to award new work orders and release the civic funds?" he questioned.

Thackeray claimed the civic body amended its plan last year after he objected to the construction work cost, resulting in decrease in the actual cost by Rs 900 crore.

"This shows the cost of the construction is being deliberately inflated. I have noticed a pattern wherein irrespective of work status, completed or incomplete, the cost goes up and the chief minister (Eknath Shinde) later releases more funds in the name of cost escalation," he alleged.

Without laying a girder or connector on the Bandra-Varsova sea link road, the project's cost has already increased by Rs 6,728 crore to Rs 18,120 crore, he claimed.

Thackeray also alleged that the National Highway Authority of India has constructed one of the worst highways in Maharashtra.