Four contractors who are yet to start cement concretisation work on Mumbai's roads must be blacklisted and probed, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray said on Thursday.
He alleged Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde was initially hesitant to sign the termination order of Rs 1600-crore road cement concretisation work given to a contractor but did so late at night.
"For the last 11 months, I have been saying this work is a scam," the MLA from Worli in Mumbai said.
The contract given to five entities was "bogus tendering" on which he had spoken in the past, Mr. Thackeray said, adding "it is an open and shut case of corruption".
The Shinde government had forgotten to give bonus to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking staffers but announced bonus of ₹26,000 just six to seven hours after he put out a message on social media, Mr. Thackeray claimed.
Attacking the government for the deteriorating air quality in the metropolis, Mr. Thackeray alleged every move of the Shinde government was "contractor driven", which may benefit the CM but not the citizens.
The state government must show strength to act against builders who are violating air pollution norms, Thackeray said.
People must send photographs of such violations to the BMC and its chief, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader added.
The air quality of Mumbai is "terrible" and multiple guidelines issued by the BMC since January this year in connection with pollution have not been followed, he alleged.
"Every time there is terrible air quality, the BMC comes together and tries to help a new contractor," Mr. Thackeray said and alleged the CM is pushing his illegal contractor friends.
The state has an industries minister but no industry is getting set up nor is investment coming in, he said.
There is an agriculture minister but Maharashtra sees the highest number of farmers' suicides, Mr. Thackeray claimed.
Mr. Shinde is busy trying to save his government and no is listening to the citizens of the state, he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party lost in Karnataka and is on the way out in MP (where Assembly polls will be held on November 17) and, similarly, the Shinde government will also be unseated soon, Mr. Thackeray asserted.
