Mumbai: Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik on Tuesday denied allegations that the contract for fitting high-security registration plates (HSRP) on old vehicles was awarded illegally.
Raising the issue in the legislative council through a calling attention notice, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab claimed that transport department officials awarded the contract before the current state cabinet was formed.
“The contract for fitting HSRP on all vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, was issued without following proper procedure, and in a manner that benefitted select companies,” he said.
In his reply, Sarnaik said, “The allegations are baseless. The tender process was carried out with due diligence, and all necessary precautions were taken.” As many as 16.58 lakh vehicles have already registered for new number plates, and the department aims to cover the maximum number of vehicles by June 30, he added.
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