Second BJP minister faces graft charges

TAWDE ACCUSED OF AWARDING RS1.91B CONTRACT WITHOUT INVITING TENDERS

Trouble mounted for the Fadnavis government in Maharashtra yesterday with a second minister coming under a cloud over award of a Rs1.91 billion (Dh110 million) contract without inviting tenders.

The allegations against Education Minister Vinod Tawde came within days of Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde facing similar accusations in awarding contracts for various purchases worth Rs2.06 billion on a single day in February without following the mandatory e-tendering process.

The matter relates to the education department issuing a Government Resolution authorising the office of the education director (primary) to enter into a contract for supply of 62,105 fire extinguishers for Zilla Parishad schools across the state on February 11 without inviting tenders.

Each fire extinguisher was to be procured at a price of Rs8,321 and each school was to be provided three pieces.

The contract, cleared by Tawde, has, however, been put on hold after the Finance Department objected to it and sought a probe, official sources said. The first-ever BJP-led government in Maharashtra has made e-tendering of contracts mandatory for all purchases above Rs300,000.

Tawde, a key minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, however, claimed no irregularity was committed as contractors had not been paid. “Not a single rupee has been paid to contractors. We stopped the order immediately after the Finance Department raised objections,” Tawde said yesterday.

Top BJP ministers in the Fadnavis government were quick to jump to his defence.

At a hurriedly convened press conference this afternoon, Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said: “The opposition is making a mountain out of molehill.”

Flanked by Mungantiwar and Cooperatives Minister Chandrakant Patil, Tawde said he had only complied with a Supreme Court order on providing firefighting equipment to schools.

About Rs60 million worth equipment was delivered but no payment has been made, Tawde said.