The Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde has alleged serious irregularities in the Rs 400 crore water purification and supply scheme tender floated by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), and has demanded its immediate cancellation.
In a complaint submitted to NMC Commissioner Manisha Khatri, Shiv Sena’s metropolitan chief Pravin Tidme pointed out that the tender does not mention ‘defect liability’, lacks penalty provisions for delays, and does not follow the Indian Standard Code required for the electrical switchgear system. He said the process is flawed and would result in a waste of public funds.
“There is no clarity in the tender about which technology will be used for water purification,” Tidme stated, adding that it also fails to incorporate the technical specifications as per the guidelines of the Institute of Public Health Engineers and the Maharashtra Life Authority of the Government of India.
According to him, another major flaw is that the tender quotes the price for MS pipes at Rs 11,400 per metre, which is significantly higher than the official government rate, leading to an inflated project cost by about Rs 20 crore.
Given these issues, the Shiv Sena has demanded that the current tender process be scrapped and a fresh, legally compliant, transparent and technically sound process be undertaken. The party has also warned of launching an agitation if its demand is ignored.
