AMN /
The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) today sought an explanation from the Department on allegd reports of awarding of contracts without inviting tenders emerged against Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Pankaja Munde.
The ACB sent a letter to the department after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by Congress, which accused Munde of corruption while awarding contracts for supply of a host of items, including books and snacks for anganwadis and other institutions.
Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary of WCD department informed that the department received a letter from the ACB on Wednesday evening asking them about purchases made by the department. He added that a report in this regard would be submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by tomorrow and the government will then forward it to the ACB. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant had yesterday registered a complaint with the ACB alleging that the WCD department had awarded contracts worth Rs 206 crore for procuring chikkis (a popular snack), medicines, growth monitoring machines, water filters, carpets and educational material for anganwadis on a single day without inviting tenders for the same.
However, Pankaja Munde, daughter of BJP veteran, the late Gopinath Munde in a statement issued on Wednesday refuted all allegations and said she would reply to the charges upon returning from London. The Maharashtra Chief Minister has come out in strong defence of Munde. Maharashtra Chief Minister today met the Prime Minister after which he said there was no primafacie evidence of any wrongdoing. However, he did not rule out prdering probe after analysing the minute details of the case.