Mithi river scam SIT to reveal how 'remote control' duped Mumbai: Minister

Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant on Thursday in the state council claimed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the alleged scam in Mumbai's Mithi river desilting scam has probed works since 2019 only, and those from the year 2006 will also be probed.

Without naming anyone, he said that the SIT will expose how 'remote control' duped Mumbai.

“Since the year 2006, a total of Rs 331.73 crore has been spent on the Mithi river desilting work. We have currently checked the expenditure from 2019 to 2024. The period from 2006 is still to be probed, and it will be done. But we need some more time for the same,” said Samant.

He was replying to the calling attention motion moved by ruling party legislators on the alleged scam in the Mithi river desilting.

BJP MLC Rajhans Singh raised the issue in the legislative council, alleging corruption in the work.

“The contractors and the officials are embracing each other for the sake of this project. There is no clarity as to when the project will be completed and what action will be taken against those guilty,” asked Singh.

BJP MLC Pravin Darekar said that the bigwigs involved in the scam should face the action and not the small fry. Another BJP MLC, Prasad Lad, read out allegations of graft and irregularities in the tendering process, questioning the unavailability of the proof of digging silt worth lakhs of metric tons from the river.

Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab seconded Darekar, saying everyone should be probed without bias.

“Probe all, investigate everyone. But do not be lenient on those who come for your mercy. There should be equal justice to all,” said Parab, pointing out that many leaders who headed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) standing committee who passed these proposals are now with the ruling alliance.

Bhai Jagtap of Congress said that the MCOCA should also be slapped on the arrested contractors, engineers of the BMC.

Samant read out the names of the accused, saying one Jai Joshi is out on bail while the mastermind Ketan Kadam, who owns night clubs and other properties, is in judicial custody.

“Ketan Kadam has a partner called Santino Morea. We want to assure the people of Mumbai, no guilty individual will be left in the open. We will ensure that SIT will expose how remote control duped Mumbai,” said Samant.

Morea is the brother of actor Dino Morea, who is a friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray. The opposition is aiming at the Thackeray family, who are said to have controlled the BMC functioning at a distance for decades.

--IANS

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