Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Monday refused to stay the state’s decision to give the Metro work contract to a contractor who is being enquired by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for allegedly doing substandard work at Lal Baug flyover in Lower Parel. The HC said he was not blacklisted by the BMC.
A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice R. I. Chagala was hearing an application filed by activist Bhagwanji Rayani who alleged that state government had given a contract to Simplex Infrastructure Private Limited to construct 11 metro stations in 2B corridor between D.N. Nagar and Mankhurd.
The petitioner stated that he had obtained information through RTI that in January 2018 the government had given contract of Rs 1080 crore to Simplex Company.
He also stated that in the meeting, which took place in December 2017, the Chief secretary of Urban Development (UD) had asked MMRDA commissioner and representative of BMC commissioner if any action was initiated against the Simplex company. Both of them had denied the same.
He further alleged that MMRDA, BMC commissioner and the UD department were all aware of last year’s HC order, in which the court recorded structural audit report of experts stating technical incompetence of the said company.
The court had directed BMC to see whether company had breached any clauses of the contract and initiate action against the said company but the BMC representative had wrongly informed the UD secretary saying no action had been taken against the company.
The court heard the submissions, refused to stay the state’s decision and keot the next hearing after two weeks.
