BJP's Shelar alleges Rs 1,000-cr 'scam' in Mumbai's coastal road project; BMC denies claim

Maharashtra BJP leader Ashish Shelar on Monday claimed there were financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore in the Mumbai coastal road project and demanded an SIT probe into the matter.

While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is executing the project, dubbed his claim as baseless, the ruling Shiv Sena sought proof to support alleged irregularities.

Addressing a press conference, Shelar said the ''scam' took place between October 2018 and December 2020 and asked if the Shiv Sena, which controls the BMC, was a party to alleged irregularities.

''Has the scam happened with the blessings of the standing committee of the BMC? Was the Shiv Sena involved in it? The BJP will reveal the names of the contractors but the Sena must clear its stand first as the ruling party in the civic body,'' Shelar said.

The former state minister said he had written to BMC commissioner IS Chahal on the issue and also demanded that a special investigation team (SIT) be formed to probe alleged irregularities in the project.

Late in the night, the BMC issued a statement, refuting all allegations levelled by Shelar and terming them as ''baseless''.

''All allegations are absolutely baseless and they have been made on a day when 1km tunnel work got completed under Malabar Hill (as part of the project),'' civic commissioner Chahal said.

The BMC refuted Shelar's allegations about use of high density and inferior quality material, lifting stones for reclaiming coastal road from quarries holding government permit and non-payment of traffic police fines, among other charges.

Questioning the Rs 1,000 crore figure cited by Shelar, the civic body claimed the work done under the package-1 of the coastal road between October 2018 and December 2020 was worth Rs 683.82 crore.

''The bill of the same amount was disbursed. Hence, it is not correct to say there has been a fraud of Rs 683.82 crore,'' the BMC stated.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said Shelar must submit proof of his allegations, adding it was just a strategy by the BJP to defame her party to defeat it in the civic polls due in early 2022.

She said BJP corporators were also part of the BMC's standing committee and Shelar should ask them what were they doing.

The coastal road seeks to connect Marine Lines in south Mumbai to suburban Kandivali and help ease traffic in the metropolis. PTI MR KK BNM RSY RSY