The NCP SP has levelled allegations of corruption against senior officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) of Maharashtra. At a press conference in Mumbai, NCP SP spokesperson Sunil Mane alleged that PWD officials had siphoned off ₹12.5 crore from the state treasury. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) flagged the disbursement of government funds among officials as illegal and unauthorized.
According to Mane, prominent bureaucrats named in the case include Additional Chief Secretary Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar, former ACS Manoj Saunik, and department secretaries S.S. Salunke and U.P. Debadwar. The illegal disbursement reportedly took place over a span of four years without the necessary cabinet or finance department approvals.
Mane demanded an urgent investigation by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde into the alleged financial misconduct and broader corruption within the department. “This is taxpayers’ money looted by top officials. It must be recovered and returned to the state treasury,” Mane said.
According to the NCP SP, the scandal is not isolated. Several major irregularities across Maharashtra’s infrastructure projects have surfaced:
Sangli Road Scam: Contractors and officials allegedly embezzled over ₹10 crore by duplicating funding for a single 26-km road project in Khanapur taluka, Sangli district.
Kolhapur Bitumen Fraud: In two major road improvement projects, contractor Jitendra Singh is accused of using fake invoices to siphon ₹25.12 crore. Bitumen was illicitly sourced from private companies instead of government-approved suppliers. The use of 2,691 metric tons of unauthorized material was detected, pointing to collusion between contractors and PWD officials.
Sassoon Hospital Tender Manipulation: In Pune, irregularities in the tender process for a new multi-story building at Sassoon General Hospital exposed deliberate favoritism toward contractors. Despite disqualified bids and technical shortcomings, contracts were awarded—potentially endangering patient safety and violating financial protocols.
Mane warned that continued negligence by the Chief Minister could lead to a breakdown of financial discipline across the state. He urged a comprehensive investigation into all contracts, payments, and the roles of contractors and officials involved.
“The public is told there’s no money for farmer loan waivers or education schemes, yet we see crores being siphoned off. This injustice must end with strict legal action against all involved,” Mane declared.
