Maha govt announces probe into parking lots under flyovers

Maharashtra government today announced that a senior IAS officer will probe flouting of norms in awarding parking lots under flyovers in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai.
Twelve such contracts were awarded despite the government's policy not to allow such parking lots owing to security reasons, public works minister (MSRDC) Jaydutt Kshirsagar informed the state Assembly.
The minister was replying to a query by Nitin Sardesai (MNS) and others during question hour.
Speaker Dilip Walse Patil expressed displeasure over the department's inaction on the matter. "How can the officers award contracts of parking lots despite a government policy. How come the officers are not obeying government's decision," he said.

Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse said that due to security reasons the state government decided in 2008 not to award parking lots under flyovers. However, contracts for pay-and-park facility under flyovers were awarded to six big developers, he alleged.
"The government should have earned thousands of crores from these contracts but got Rs 248 crore only. It is a case of mass corruption. The contracts were approved by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan," Khadse alleged.

Kshirsagar admitted that parking lots under 12 flyovers of MSRDC were approved and were later cancelled. The contractors approached the Bombay High Court against the government's decision, he said.

"The one-member committee comprising IAS officer R A Rajeev, appointed today, will probe the matter and submit its report in two months. The report will be submitted to the High Court and the guilty will be punished," the minister said.
PWP legislator Ganpatrao Deshmukh said there is no need to appoint any committee and action should be initiated against errant officers. Some legislators pointed out that work on parking lot is still on under flyovers in their constituencies.