Latest news with #Shinde
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Oppn demands Shinde's resignation over scrapped MMRDA tender process
MUMBAI: Following the decision of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to scrap the controversial tender process for the Thane-Ghodbunder-to-Bhayandar twin tunnels and elevated road projects, opposition parties targeted deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who has been heading the urban development department that governs MMRDA. Pointing out that he was first to raise the issue of the controversial tender process, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday demanded the removal of Shinde from the state cabinet and a probe by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) or the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the entire episode. In July last year, MMRDA had issued a notice, inviting tenders for two public infrastructure projects. The first was the Road Tunnel project (Gaumukh to Fountain Hotel junction on the Thane-Ghodbunder Road), which envisaged 5-kilometre-long twin tunnels of 14.6-metre diameter at a cost of ₹8,000 crore. The second project was the construction of a 9.8-km-long elevated road over Vasai Creek. Larsen & Toubro (L&T), which was the lowest bidder, recently approached the Supreme Court saying that MMRDA had arbitrarily declared the Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) as L1 (lowest) bidder for both the projects, despite its bid being higher than L&T's. The Supreme Court raised questions on the process, and on Friday, MMRDA told the court that the tender has been scrapped, and new tenders would be floated for these projects. 'I was the first to raise my voice over the tender process for the two projects in October 2024,' said Aaditya. 'With MMRDA scrapping the tender, it has been confirmed that there were irregularities, and the project was pushed ahead with an eye on the assembly elections.' Aaditya said that MMRDA, under Eknath Shinde, had floated a short-duration tender of only 20 days. 'This was done when Shinde was the chief minister and also the urban development minister,' he said. 'There was an irregularity at every step of the tender process. This was not possible unless approved by those who were handling the department. Therefore, Shinde should be removed from the position immediately.' Aaditya said that CM Devendra Fadnavis kept claiming from time to time that he was giving Maharashtra a clean administration. 'If Fadnavis is serious, there should be a probe of the tender issue by the EOW or ED,' he said. 'As Shinde is involved in the matter, he should be removed from the post of deputy CM and cabinet minister to ensure a transparent probe.' Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal alleged that the controversial tender was a ₹3,000-crore scam. 'MMRDA has cancelled the tender but the matter does not end here,' he said. 'This is a matter of deep-rooted corruption.' Sapkal declared that Fadnavis and Shinde had created a 'corruption corridor' in the state involving agencies like MMRDA, MHADA, CIDCO and SRA, and demanded a judicial probe into all major infrastructure projects taken up during the tenure of the two Mahayuti governments.
Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pune police hold coordination meeting with maulanas ahead of Bakari Eid
In preparation for the upcoming festival of Bakari Eid, Pune Police organised a coordination meeting with maulanas and religious leaders in the Zone 5 area of Pune city to ensure peaceful and lawful celebrations. The meeting, held at the Zone 5 office in Wanowrie on Saturday, focused on various guidelines and regulations to be followed during the festival. DCP Zone 5 Rajkumar Shinde, senior police officials from Hadapsar, Wanowrie, and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officers were present during the meeting. Police addressed key concerns such as the conduct of animal sacrifice, the use of loudspeakers at mosques, the prevention of illegal animal trading, and the operation of unauthorized slaughterhouses. Police officials emphasised the importance of adhering to civic norms and maintaining communal harmony. 'We want the celebrations to be conducted with respect to the law and public sentiment. Our goal is to ensure that the festival is observed peacefully and in a spirit of unity,' said Shinde, who addressed the meeting. Maulanas and community leaders assured the police of their cooperation and committed to spreading awareness among community members about the guidelines. In addition to animal sacrifice protocols, the police urged the religious leaders to ensure that loudspeaker use complies with time restrictions and volume limits as per Supreme Court directives. The meeting concluded with an appeal for inter-community respect and cooperation to make Bakari Eid celebrations smooth and joyous for all.
India Today
13 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Bhrashtnath Shinde must resign: Aditya Thackeray demands probe into tender scam
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, demanding his resignation after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) cancelled two high-value tenders following a Supreme Court alleged the Rs 14,000 crore Thane-Ghodbunder to Bhayandar tunnel and elevated road projects were rigged from the outset, with just 20 days initially given for bids, later extended to 60 days after judicial year, in October, I raised issues about the Thane-Ghodbunder to Bhayandar tunnel and elevated road projects. For tenders worth over Rs 14,000 crore, only 20 days' time was given. Later, the court intervened and it beacme 60 days. Means since the start, this tender has been rigged. Will there be action on Brashtnath (corrupt) Shinde? The CM should remove him from the cabinet,' Thackeray said. Furthermore, Aaditya congratulated L&T for challenging the MMRDA process in court, adding that 'there was a possibility of a scam in this case from the beginning, in which I was repeatedly holding press conferences to expose the scam.''I am asking the Chief Minister directly whether he will have the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) probe against the person who has this account, Brashtnath Shinde? Will he be investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)? Brashtnath Shinde had this account earlier too, will there be an ED and judicial investigation into the cases then?,' he asked, suggesting that irregularities may have occurred during Shinde's earlier tenure as urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to remove Shinde from the cabinet until an independent investigation is completed. 'Fadnavis must act. He should ask Shinde to resign and initiate an ED and judicial probe,' he Watch
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Mule account holder held from Panvel in digital arrest fraud case
1 2 Pune: A mule account holder, husband of a sarpanch, was arrested from a house in Panvel around 4.30am on Friday in connection with the Rs6.3 crore digital arrest fraud. The suspect has been identified as Tushar Harischandra Wajantri (28), a resident of Roha in Raigarh district. His wife is the sarpanch of a nearby village. The cyber police of Pune zeroed in on Wajantri in the case of online fraudsters cheating a top executive with a Mumbai-based software company in November last year by impersonating as CBI officials. He was kept under digital arrest for five days in his Pashan residence under the pretext of verifying and investigating a bogus money laundering case against him. A police team comprising senior inspector Swapnali Shinde, and police constables Janavi Bhandekar, Sandeep Pawar, Sandeep Yadav, Raju Chavan, and Satish Mandhare studied the money trail of the case. "We soon realised that Rs20 lakh out of the Rs6.3 crore was transferred to Wajantri's current account. He runs a small construction business," Shinde said. "Wajantri had given his current account as a mule account against commission to his handlers, the masterminds of digital arrest scams. A study of his bank account revealed that it received money from various bank accounts across India. A total of Rs4.27 crore was deposited in his account," she said. "Wajantri's father is on the run. We are searching for him," Shinde said. "The Kerala, Bihar and West Bengal police were also searching for Wajantri in connection with digital arrest cases registered there. About two months ago, the Kerala police visited Roha and went to his residence. He lef his home thereafter and kept changing his location. We managed to track him down in a house at Panvel," Shinde said.
The Hindu
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Aaditya Thackeray demands probe into scrapped MMRDA tenders
Aaditya Thackeray, who represents the Worli constituency in the State Legislative Assembly, on Saturday (May 31, 2025) called upon Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to initiate a probe against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, following the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority's (MMRDA) decision to cancel the tender process for two major infrastructure projects in Mumbai. The two projects in question are the ₹6,000-crore Mumbai Elevated Road Project, involving a 9.8-kilometre bridge along the Vasai Creek, and the ₹8,000-crore Road Tunnel Project, which includes the construction of five-kilometre twin tunnels from Gaimukh to the Fountain Hotel Junction on Thane's Ghodbunder Road. 'Why should the government back down? No contractor goes against the government for one tender. This is only a scam. Cancelling the tender does not mean everything is clean. You [the MMRDA] had a hanging sword which is why you had to cancel the tender,' Mr. Thackeray said. 'Will CM Fadnavis get the matter probed by EOW, IT or ED? The CM should himself take charge of the MMRDA,' he continued. 'Shinde's corruption is proved. Will you sack him from the cabinet till the probe gets over? He has to face action,' Mr. Thackeray added. The statement gains significance as the MMRDA, which operates under the Urban Development Department led by Mr. Shinde, informed the Supreme Court that it was cancelling two tenders linked to the Gaimukh-Ghodbunder-Bhayander project. The authority said it would issue fresh tenders 'to safeguard larger public interest'. Further, the MMRDA stated that it was actively considering a downward revision of the base cost by ₹3,000 crore, based on financial bids disclosed during ongoing litigation. The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition filed by infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) challenging its disqualification from the tender process, also expressed criticism over the MMRDA's handling of the matter. Mr. Thackeray noted that the original tender was floated on September 13, 2024, with a bid submission deadline of October 3, 2024 — a window typically reserved for emergency projects. 'Such short notice is not appropriate for large-scale infrastructure works,' he said, adding that the deadline was only extended to 60 days after he raised objections. He further alleged that the terms of the tender were crafted in a manner that would favour 'preferred contractors.'
