Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis halts Rs 3,190 crore project for overpricing
Tanaji Sawant of the Shiv Sena had awarded the project for 'mechanised cleaning services' in government run hospitals, primary health clinics.
There were allegations that the cost of these equipments were highly inflated and also the contracts were given to companies that had no prior experience of running such a project.
Maharashtra government officials said that there were complaints about the tender as it was causing a huge loss to the state exchequer. For instance, while the annual contract would have cost Rs 638 crores for a year, previously the government used to spend Rs 70 crores annually on this.
The 3190 crore mechanized cleaning services contract besides being highly overpriced had also raised eyebrows as there was no money allocated for the project and as per government norms tenders had to be issued only when there were funds allocated for the purpose. Sawant's ministry however went ahead with the tender which has led to the current stay.
While a number of projects that have been cleared in the erstwhile government have been halted after Fadnavis has taken over as Chief Minister which has led to talk that it is the result of a 'cold war' brewing between Fadnavis and Shinde. However, government sources pointed out that Fadnavis has been responding to complaints of lack of transparency on projects being cleared and has stopped 'dubious' projects of both the NCP and Shiv Sena that were cleared during the erstwhile Shinde government.
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