Day II: CSMC deputy commissioner continues facing ED inquiry

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

If the sources are to be believed, the inquiry of the deputy commissioner of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC), Aparna Thete, continued on the second day by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai. The inquiry relating to the tender scam of Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) started on Monday.

The CSMC had implemented the whole tender process of PMAY. Hence the inquiry was underway during the whole day on Monday and continued on the second day (Tuesday) as well for detailed inquiry, said the sources.

Earlier, many shortcomings came to the fore in the PMAY tender process. The inquiries conducted by the CSMC and the state government found a violation of the Act. Later on, it was detected that Samrath Construction Co. submitted the tender through one common IP address along with the other responding companies. Hence the deputy commissioner lodged a complaint of cheating against the CSMC with the police station. Accordingly, the principal contractor and 19 directors were booked by the police in the case.

In the meantime, the case got transferred to ED. On March 17, six teams of ED conducted raids in the city at various places. In the evening, the ED squad also visited the municipal corporation on the same day and procured necessary documents from the civic officials. Later on, the deputy commissioner and head of PMAY Aparna Thete was summoned for an inquiry through a notice at the ED office in Mumbai. Hence Thete reached the ED office on Monday and faced inquiries during the whole day. The inquiry to get the details continued on Tuesday as well, said the sources.