Dy CM Fadnavis takes 'loss of percentage' jibe after Aaditya Thackeray questions Mumbai road concretisation tenders

Devendra Fadnavis, File photo

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday hurled a "loss of percentage" jibe at the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena for questioning the proposed concretisation of roads in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray had alleged tenders worth more than Rs 6,000 crore were floated at a higher price for the concretisation of 400 km of roads in Mumbai for the benefit of contractors. He had demanded the same should be scrapped.

"The real pain behind such criticism is they will not get a certain percentage for sanctioning work orders from construction companies. They were used to this practice for the last many years," Fadnavis told reporters when asked about Aaditya Thackeray's remarks.

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Fadnavis visited the MMRDA ground in Bandra Kurla Complex on Wednesday afternoon along with top police officers to take stock of the preparations on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit.

"A probe report ordered by me as the chief minister in 2018 found that 200 roads in Mumbai had no lower layer. This is how they used to issue work orders for road constructions every year and get a certain amount of percentage at the time of sanctioning," he said.

"Once we construct concrete roads, they will remain for 40 years," Fadnavis added. Notably, the Shiv Sena had been in power in the Mumbai civic body for over two decades before the tenure of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ended last year.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set its eyes on the cash-rich civic body to dislodge the rival Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction from power in the civic elections, the schedule for which is yet to be announced.

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