Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Jul 10: Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday accused the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) of involvement in a massive corruption case related to the procurement of school supplies and urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order an immediate investigation.
In a letter dated July 9, 2026, addressed to the Chief Minister, Raut alleged that a senior cabinet minister and municipal officials ignored mandatory procurement norms by awarding a multi-crore contract without following the prescribed e-tendering process.
According to Raut, several corporators from Pimpri-Chinchwad approached him with complaints regarding irregularities in the purchase of school uniforms, sweaters, socks, raincoats and school bags for students studying in municipal primary and secondary schools.
He claimed that despite state rules requiring all civic purchases exceeding ?3 lakh to be made through an electronic tendering process, the contract was allegedly awarded directly to Solapur-based Jagdamba Readymade Dresses Sahakari Sanstha without inviting competitive bids.
Raut further alleged that the issue had earlier come before the Supreme Court, which had fixed the procurement cost of each school kit at ?239. However, the civic administration allegedly finalised the contract at ?814 per kit, resulting in an excess expenditure of ?575 for every kit purchased.
Based on these figures, he estimated that the alleged financial irregularities could amount to nearly ?400 crore.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also accused a senior minister in the Maharashtra cabinet of influencing the municipal administration to approve the contract. In his letter, Raut alleged that political pressure was exerted on the Municipal Commissioner to bypass the tendering process and favour the selected supplier.
Invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's anti-corruption slogan, "Na khaunga, na khane dunga" ("I will neither take bribes nor allow corruption"), Raut alleged that the contract was pushed through for financial gain rather than public interest.
He further claimed that kickbacks worth around ?50 crore to ?55 crore were allegedly paid to those involved in facilitating the deal, describing the alleged misuse of public funds meant for schoolchildren as deeply disturbing.
Seeking immediate intervention, Raut urged Chief Minister Fadnavis to initiate a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations and take strict action against the minister concerned as well as officials of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. He also stated that documentary evidence supporting the allegations had been submitted to the Chief Minister's Office for examination.