BMC allots desilting work to blacklisted contractor

After the BMC revoked a contract for desilting the Mithi River that was awarded to a contractor blacklisted by the civic administration, it has now been given to another contractor who, it turns out, is on the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA)'s blacklist.

While the civic body's BJP members on Wednesday demanded the contract be revoked, Shiv Sena members said it could be granted after verifying the credentials of the contractor, and visiting the site used to dump the silt.

Manoj Kotak, BJP leader in the BMC, pointed out that the contractor who was granted the contract of desilting the Mithi River had been blacklisted by the MMRDA.

"How can the civic body repeat the same mistake again? While they have refused to grant the work to the contractor blacklisted by the BMC, they have chosen to give it to the one blacklisted by the MMRDA. There is no mention in the proposal for a plan of action stating how the contractor will carry out the work and where he will dump the silt," said Kotak, demanding that the contract should not be awarded to the contractor.

Manoj Kotak had the support of Samajwadi Party member Rais Shaikh and Congress corporator Asif Zakaria, who called for the contract to be revoked and to put out tenders again.

However, newly appointed Opposition leader Ravi Raja of Congress and MNS member Dilip Lande supported the Shiv Sena in granting the contract but with constant inspection on the work carried out by the contractor.