BMC denies trench-filling contract to tainted contractor

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has denied a contract to one of the tainted contractors, who had been indicted in the road repairs scam unearthed last year. This is the first such incident where the wary civic body has decided not to allot a contract to a bidder despite him not being blacklisted.

The BMC had invited contracts for filling of trenches worth Rs 775 crore for a period of two years. Of the 14 bidders who showed interest, a joint consortium of M/s Rajendra Shah and Company and M/s Konark Structural Engineers Pvt Ltd had bid for the work in the administrative zone IV. However, according to civic officials, owners of M/s Rajendra Shah and Company, Rajendra G Shah and his wife Tarala R Shah, were found to be partners in M/s K.R. Constructions, which was indicted for its involvement in the road repairs scam.

“Action has been taken against M/s K.R. Constructions for irregularities in the road repairs. An FIR has also been filed against them. Hence, according to the legal department’s opinion, their joint consortium has been disqualified from bidding for engineering, mechanical, electrical and electronics works as per the municipal rules,” said chief engineer (roads) Sanjay Darade.

Earlier, a controversy had erupted with the BMC’s decision to allot construction contracts of four major bridges to two of the contractors involved in the scam. Taking a serious note of this, the high court had passed severe strictures on the BMC, due to which it finally scrapped the bridges contract.

In the first phase of the probe in the road repairs scam, six contractors — R.P.S. Infraprojects, Mahavir Infraprojects, R.K. Madhani, J. Kumar, Relcon Infraprojects and K.R. Constructions — were indicted and the process of blacklisting them is on.

In all 34 and 174 roads were inspected during the first and second phase of the probe respectively. An inquiry report will soon be tabled in this regard.

Saying that the BMC should have allotted the trenches filling contracts after the second report of the road repairs scam was out, MNS group leader Sandeep Deshpande added, “There is a possibility that contractors, who have been allotted the trenches filling works, may get indicted in the second probe. Why were they in such a hurry If a contractor is found to be indicted later, will the BMC revoke the tenders ”

The BMC has decided to allot trench-filling works to seven contractors for each administrative zone at the cost of Rs 656.41 crore.