Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday demanded an investigation by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) into Mumbai’s controversial Rs 7,000 crore concrete road repair project, which has faced severe criticism from various political parties.

The ambitious project, aimed at repairing 700 km of roads to address Mumbai’s perennial pothole problem, was initiated after Shinde became the Chief Minister and handled the Urban Development portfolio.

Speaking to reporters, Thackeray demanded that Shinde as well as Deepak Kesarkar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who were the guardian ministers of Mumbai city and Mumbai suburbs, respectively, be excluded from the new government as the road contracts were awarded during their tenure as ministers.

“Rather than forming a Special Investigation Team, Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing should investigate this matter. Devendra Fadnavis should refrain from inducting Eknath Shinde and ex-ministers Deepak Kesarkar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha into his Cabinet until they are cleared in this inquiry,” Aaditya Thackeray said.

Thackeray also alleged there was cartelisation of contracts when Shinde was Chief Minister and handled the Urban Development portfolio.

“The BJP has now demanded a SIT probe into the contracts awarded for construction of roads. We demand an EOW probe into this,” Thackeray said.

Mumbai BJP Chief Ashish Shelar has also raised concerns over the issue, meeting Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Friday to demand the formation of an SIT. Shelar also called for a detailed audit involving experts from Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai and Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) to evaluate 40 per cent of the concretised road patches on a randomised basis.

COLABA RESIDENTS PROTEST DELAYED WORK

Adding to the controversy, former BJP corporator Makarand Narwekar and residents of Colaba staged a protest on Saturday, citing delays and substandard conditions in South Mumbai’s CC road projects.

Narwekar accused contractors and BMC officials of negligence, pointing out that no actual work had commenced despite contracts being awarded in September 2023 at a cost 4 per cent above the estimated budget.

“The new contractor has merely erected barricades on five roads in Colaba, causing chronic traffic congestion on Dumayne Road, Windy Hall Lane, Nathulal Parekh Marg, and Veer Nariman Roads. No maintenance or progress is visible on the ground,” Narwekar said.

He also wrote to BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, demanding accountability from Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar and senior Roads Department officials for the delay.