Pune: Opposition leaders in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) have called for a detailed probe into alleged irregularities and corruption in the construction of the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj statue in the Borhadewadi area of Moshi.In a letter addressed to civic chief Vijay Suryawanshi, leader of opposition and NCP corporator Bhausaheb Bhoir, along with other corporators from the NCP and the Shiv Sena, alleged that the tendering process for the project was suspicious and appeared to favour a particular contractor. They have demanded the constitution of a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the matter.The 140-foot statue, claimed to be the first of its kind, is expected to be the tallest structure dedicated to the Maratha ruler in the world.Opposition leaders have alleged that the project has been marred by irregularities since its inception. Bhoir claimed that PCMC incurred a loss of Rs 14 crore after the project site had to be shifted due to inadequate verification of the proposed land by the consultant. “We are not against the construction of the statue, however, the project must be executed with complete transparency and without any irregularities,” Bhoir said.The opposition leaders further alleged that the contract was awarded to a firm lacking prior experience in such projects. “The tender amount for the second phase of the project was increased by nearly 35% without issuing a fresh tender, despite norms mandating one if the revised cost exceeds 10% of the original estimate,” one of the leaders in the opposition said.Civic officials said approximately Rs 52 crore has already been spent on the project, including Rs 32 crore for the bronze statue crafted by noted sculptor Ram Sutar. Last week, the civic body approved an additional Rs 52 crore for civil and electrical works related to the project. The proposal had earlier been stalled in the standing committee after objections were raised by members, including Shiv Sena corporator Sulbha Ubale, citing alleged irregularities. However, it was later cleared by the committee chairman and subsequently approved despite further objections in the general body meeting.Ubale said the recent Rs 52 crore tender combined both civil and electrical works. “Separate tenders should have been floated to allow specialised bidders to participate. Moreover, while bids for other projects have come in below estimates, this tender exceeded the estimated cost, which raises suspicion,” she said.A senior PCMC official said the project is expected to be completed by Nov this year.
