Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde in dock over Rs 260-crore scam

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s women and child welfare ministry, led by Pankaja Munde, approved a purchase order of Rs 206 crore for anganwadis on a single day without calling tenders. While the Opposition termed it a case of corruption and demanded an inquiry, Ms Munde rejected the allegations and said some people whose financial interests were hurt have conspired against her.

According to documents, the department approved a purchase order for 24 items, worth Rs 206,50,14,574, on February 13, 2015. The government resolution for this purchase order is till date not available on the Maharashtra government’s portal (www.maharashtra.gov.in).

Sources said, all these proposals were sanctioned without verifying them and without appropriate demand for particular items from anganwadis. He also claimed that the chikki provided to anganwadis had mud mixed in it and that the health kit did not have the approval of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

However, minister Pankaja Munde, who is currently abroad, issued a statement saying her decision to check corruption had “troubled” some “money-minded” people. For years the women and child welfare department had been neglected and was taken “less seriously”, she said, adding, “I, as a minister, (have) taken some dynamic decisions to reduce corruption... I have not broken any rules as far I’m concerned.” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that prima facie there was nothing wrong in the purchase. 

“We have taken a decision to purchase items higher than Rs 1 crore through e-tendering only in April, and Pankaja Munde’s department did it in February, as otherwise the Central grant would have lapsed,” he said.

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse, responding to the allegations, said, “The Opposition keeps levelling charges. We don’t take them seriously until they submit proof.”

The irregularities came to light when Ahmednagar Zilla Parishad president Manjusha Gund, of the NCP, lodged a complaint with minister Pankaja Munde on June 6 that the chikki provided to children had mud mixed in it. Suryakanta Women Industrial Cooperative  Society, which has no production unit at Vengurla, got an open tender of Rs 8 crore.