Mumbai: Shiv Sena on Monday was besieged by another controversy; this time regarding the bidding process of a Rs 1500 crore tender for cleaning and supply of contractual workers for the social justice department headed by Sanjay Shirsat.
Right to Information (RTI) activist from Pune, Vijay Kumbhar, posted the details of the contract on X, urging Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to look into an alleged scam.
As per Kumbhar, Shirsat divided the contract between three firms – Smart Services (earlier Brisk India), BVG India and Crystal Integrated Services; all three had quoted 19.5% as their service charges, which allegedly points to collusion.
Kumbhar, who is also associated with AAP, termed the process as “illegal”. In his post addressed to the CM, he said, “You (the CM) had demanded blacklisting of Brisk India.
The company is facing an inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The tender document is silent on overall expenditure. Even as 3,634 workers will be required, the tender is also silent on the salaries to be paid to them.
Over the last 13 years (since 2013), these three firms have been doing the stated work without any fresh tenders; now Rs1500 crore will be paid on a single tender.” The activist has now demanded scrapping of the tender, blacklisting the three firms, and instituting an inquiry to uncover the process.
Social activist Anjali Damaia also demanded an inquiry into the tendering process. Why were these firms engaged in the same job for years together, she asked while addressing the media.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) sharpened its attack against the Shinde-led Sena on Monday and called it “chaddi-baniyan gang”. The veiled reference was to Sanjay Gaikwad, Sanjay Shirsat, and Bharat Gogawale, who appeared scantily clad in different video clips.
While Gaikwad was clad in vest while punching the staff of the MLA canteen over “stale food”, Shirsat was also in a vest when seen with bags allegedly “full of cash”, and Gogawale was recently seen in a towel while performing a puja at home.
The reference led to a verbal duel between Uddhav Thackeray and Nilesh Rane in the Assembly. Demanding that the remark be expunged from the proceedings, Rane dared Thackeray to take names of those he referred to as members of the “gang”.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab demanded that a special investigation team (SIT) be formed to probe the video purportedly showing Shirsat sitting with a partially opened bag allegedly containing bundles of cash. Parab made a jibe at Shirsat, saying that if ministers are not safe in their bedrooms, how can the general public be.
