Cong cries scam in Samruddhi corridor project
Even as the state Congress has warned of an agitation over the increased surcharge on petrol, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president Sanjay Nirupam on Friday accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of practicing favouritism in the Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication (Samruddhi Corridor) project.
“Request for qualification (RFQ) for construction of 706-km-long Samruddhi Corridor has been altered to favour a lobby. It is a big scam and it is happening at the level of the chief minister,” Nirupam charged.
He said, “When the first RFQ was floated, 40 companies and consortium came in; however, the RFQ was altered and only five remained. The five were those who are being favoured,” he said, adding that associations and bodies of construction companies have also complained to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on the issue. “The scam totals up to Rs 27,000 crore,” he claimed.
Currently, the MumbaiNagpur Samruddhi Corridor is also facing stiff resistance from the farmers. Even Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray made a mention of the farmers’ opposition to this project as he addressed a farmers’ rally at Nasik on Friday.
In the meantime, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan has warned the state government of an agitation over the issue of increased surcharge on petrol.
“The increased surcharge indicates lack of financial planning in the government even as the expenditure is on rise,” the former chief minister said. “Petrol rates in Maharashtra are the highest in the country despite the Centre reducing petrol prices. The total surcharge on petrol is now Rs. 11 and the state Congress will protest against this on May 26, the day Modi government completed three years in power,” Chavan announced.
“The government is a complete failure on several counts. It will have to answer to people over what the chief minister has termed as Rs 400-core worth of Tur dal scam,” he said while lashing out at the government.
THE Maharashtra State Pradesh Congress workers will protest against Rs 11 surcharge on petrol on May 26. The party also alleges a Rs 400-cr Tur dal scam in the state