Connect with us
Sunday,06-July-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Mira-Bhayandar: MBMC Issues Show Cause Notice To Contractor In Rs 2.4 Crore Covid-19 Ambulance ‘Scam’

Published

on

Mira-Bhayandar: MBMC Issues Show Cause Notice To Contractor In Rs 2.4 Crore Covid-19 Ambulance 'Scam'

Mira-Bhayandar: The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has finally issued a show cause notice to the private contractual agency which was hired to provide ambulance services during the Covid-19 pandemic. The notice has asked as to why excessive payments should not be recovered from the agency.

The notice which was issued on June, 21, 2024 stipulated a time frame of three days for the agency to give an explanation. However, when asked about the excessive amount and if the agency had responded, deputy municipal commissioner- Sachin Bangar who himself had issued the notice remained tight lipped, while requesting to seek an answer on the issue from the additional municipal commissioner.

Social activist- Krishna Gupta has alleged massive anomalies and corruption in the ambulance hiring tender aimed at doling out undue monetary benefits amounting more than Rs.2.42 crore to a Vasai-based contractual agency. On the virtue of data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Gupta stated that the MBMC had roped in the agency to hire 12 ambulances to ferry Covid-19 patients from one hospital to another, or from their homes to the Covid care centres for four months between 3, July, 2020 to 30, November, 2020.

Apart from discrepancy in fares as compared to authorized pricing structure fixed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA), the contractor has also inflated bills under the garb of waiting charges and small split trips/kms.

Moreover, tender conditions envisaging 24-hour services, integration of SPERO App with the toll free 108 ambulance service system, smartphones in each ambulance with adequate internet connectivity were brazenly blown to the wind.

Notably, Gupta had also registered a complaint with the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) which sought a nod from the state government’s urban development department (UDD) nod for conducting investigations into the complaint. In response the UDD in its letter dated April, 29, 2024 directed the MBMC to submit a detailed report in context to the contract given to a private agency for providing ambulance services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officials Under Scanner.

It has been alleged that a bunch of civic officials including the erstwhile civic chief, gave a free hand to the contractor for violating the mandated guidelines while manipulating the pricing structure and fabricating data of the distance travelled by the ambulances leading to a jump in bills from the legitimate Rs.48,90,746 to Rs.2,91,05,850 thus causing a loss of more than Rs.2.42 crore to the civic exchequer.

Maharashtra

Sashil Kodiyeri apologizes after tension over Marathi-Hindi controversy

Published

on

Maharashtra: In the context of the Mumbai Marathi-Hindi controversy, Shishil Kodia has apologized for his controversial statement. He said that his tweet was misrepresented. I am not against Marathi. I have been living in Mumbai and Maharashtra for the last 30 years. I am a fan of Raj Thackeray. I constantly comment positively on Raj Thackeray’s tweets. I tweeted in my emotions and I made a mistake. This tense and tense atmosphere should end. We need a favorable environment to accept Marathi. So I request you to forgive me for this mistake for Marathi. Earlier, Shishil Kodia had made a controversial statement about Marathi and refused to speak Marathi, due to which MNS workers attacked and pelted stones at Shishil’s company WeWork. After which Shishil has now apologized to X

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Marathi Hindi Controversy: Strict action will be taken against those who take law into their hands: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Published

on

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made it clear on the Hindi-Marathi language dispute that linguistic discrimination and violence cannot be tolerated. If anyone instigates violence in the name of Marathi language or takes the law into his own hands, strict action will be taken against him because it is the government’s responsibility to maintain law and order. He said that in the Mira Road Hindi Marathi violence case, the police have registered a case and taken action.

A committee has been formed in the matter of Marathi and Hindi language. Whatever is better for the students on its recommendation, the government will implement it. No decision has been taken under anyone’s pressure. He said that the recommendation for Hindi language was made during the Maha Vikas Aghadi rule itself, but now these same people are opposing it. The public knows everything.

He said that in this election, BJP has got 51 percent Marathi votes. Violence and discrimination in the name of language cannot be tolerated. Marathi is a source of pride for us, but we do not oppose Hindi. What will happen if a Marathi businessman in another state is asked to speak his language? In Assam, he was asked to speak Assamese. He said that strict action will be taken against those who break the law.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Case registered for burning copy of Hindi Marathi dispute order

Published

on

Mumbai: Mumbai Police has registered a case against 200 to 300 activists including Deepak Pawar, Santosh Shinde, Santosh Kharat, Shashi Pawar, Yoginder Salulkar, Santosh Veer for protesting without permission, violating prohibitory orders and Police Act in the case of burning copy of order making Hindi language compulsory. The accused have been booked under Section 189(2), 190,223, Maharashtra Police Act at Azad Maidan Police Station. The case has been registered on the complaint of complainant Santosh Suraj Dhundiram Khot, 32 years.

According to the details, on June 29, between 2 and 3:30 pm, a copy of the government order against making Hindi i.e. third language compulsory in primary education was burnt without permission on BMC Road adjacent to Marathi Patkar Singh and the government order was violated. The accused had not taken any permission for this demonstration and had violated the prohibitory orders, following which a case has been registered against them, confirmed Mumbai Police. The case has been registered after recording the statement of the complainant.

Continue Reading

Trending