After making allegations of a scam in desilting and dumping ground works, the BJP has fired another salvo at its ruling partner Shiv Sena in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
After making allegations of a scam in desilting and dumping ground works, the BJP has fired another salvo at its ruling partner Shiv Sena in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). This time it has alleged large-scale scam in the supply of water by the tanker mafia to which it said the Sena had turned a blind eye.
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has demanded an inquiry by a special investigation team (SIT) into the matter.
Mr Somaiya said that tanker mafias are looting the public in two ways. They are procuring drinking water from the BMC at a nominal rate of one paisa per litre and selling it at Rs 1 per litre. They are also selling water from borewells, tubewells in the city for drinking purpose, even though it is not potable, he said.
“In the first 100 days from January to April, 48,180 tankers supplied water in Mumbai. Of them, only 9,181 tankers were of the BMC’s, whereas 39,000 tankers were private.
As per the BMC guidelines, the water from borewells, tubewells should be used for non-drinking purposes and is non-transportable. However, thousands of private tankers are supplying this water for drinking purpose,” he said.
The Asian Age, in its report on April 18, had reported that water filled from borewells is being supplied by water mafias for drinking purposes in the city.
Mr Somaiya on Wednesday met the BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta and demanded immediate action alleging that tanker mafias and civic officials are indulged in fraud. However, house leader Trishna Vishwasrao said the BJP’s allegations of Shiv Sena being negligent towards tanker mafias is totally baseless. “The malpractices by tanker mafias was first exposed by Sena itself in the standing committee and the party also demanded action against them,” she said.
