The second largest donor of the Electoral Bonds, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) is in the eye of the storm, ever since the bond data had been made public by the State Bank of India on the Supreme Court of India’s order. In yet another alleged scam, the opposition leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of a Rs 1,400 crore scam in the City Industrial Development Corporation’s (CIDCO) Kondhane dam project.
‘The entire project is a scam; it should be thoroughly probed. The Mahayuti government appears to have done a huge favour to Megha Engineering company. Suddenly, the cost of the project was enhanced from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,400 crore, said Wadettiwar.
Kondhane Dam Project (INR 1400 crore): The Mahayuti Government allegedly favored MEIL, a Hyderabad contractor, potentially for election fund purposes. #MahaChoroKiMahayuti
— Tamil Nadu Congress Sevadal (@SevadalTN) November 14, 2024
Explaining the alleged scam further, Wadettiwar accused CIDCO and stated that after paying Rs 100 crores to the original contractor for 35% of the work, the project’s specifications were suddenly changed in favour of MEIL. CIDCO decided to construct an RCC (reinforced cement concrete) dam instead of a soil-based dam. Thus, the ‘project cost escalated from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,400 crore to benefit Megha Engineering’, said the leader.
READ THIS: Maharashtra Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleges ₹1,400 crore scam in Kondhane Dam project
He further added that ‘the government is more interested in helping Adani and Megha Engineering than in addressing the plight of the farmers’.
Social worker Anjali Damania had filed a writ petition before the Bombay High Court in which it was directed that if the original contractor is prepared to complete the project, then he should be given the first opportunity to undertake the work.
The contract was also granted Rs 100 crores to complete 35% of the work. But fresh tenders for the cement-concrete project were invited by CIDCO that led to the increase in the cost from Rs 700 crores to Rs 1400 crores.