In a shocking development, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has approved the appointment of the architect for the construction of memorial of late Balasaheb Thackeray at Shivaji Park in Dadar. This the first time, when MMRDA being a nodal agency for the project, has given up its rights and accepted the appointment blindly, which in the first place was the duty of MMRDA. This revelation has come to fore after noted RTI activist Anil Galgali filed a query with MMRDA.
RTI activist Anil Galgali had sought to know about various developments taking place to build memorial of late Bala Saheb Thackeray Memorial MMRDA. The MMRDA administration provided 94 pages documents which were in direct contravention of the standard procedure.
According to reply, Thackeray Memorial had issued a tender notice directing MMRDA to appoint a distinguished architect. As soon as Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray was appointed as the Chairman of the Memorial, he held a meeting on May 14, 2020. Architects and project advisors were selected in the meeting.
On June 8, 2020, Member Secretary Subhash Desai informed Metropolitan Commissioner R A Rajiv that after completing the tendering process and giving a presentation before the Special Expert Committee, the Expert Committee recommended Abha Narayan Lamba Associate for the post of Architect and Project Consultant.
It further added that the appointment has also been approved by Balasaheb Thackeray National Memorial Committee. Desai further said that the process of appointment as architect and project consultant should be completed and their commercial payments should be made as per the prevailing rules and rates of MMRDA.
According to Galgali, MMRDA being the nodal agency for the project, should have appointed the consultant and the architect. But in this case, a private trust did all the without inviting any tender, and the nodal agency MMRDA okayed it with blind eyes. Galgali pointed out that how can MMRDA be so blind when matter comes to use the common taxpayers money.
Galgali has found this in sheer contravention of the prescribed rule and has filed a complaint with the Governor and the Chief Minister demanding an inquiry into the case and to nail the responsible of the MMRDA officers and demanded action.
In a letter to the governor and chief minister, Anil Galgali has said that the MMRDA administration has bypassed the standard procedure in executing the public projects and has considered the directions of the Thackeray memorial as binding.
Considering the rules of the Chief Vigilance Commission, the MMRDA administration has indirectly succumbed to the pressure of the Thackeray Memorial Committee by ignoring the Architects' Competition as well as the Council of Architects' Guidelines.
Galgali further said that so far, whether it is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj project or Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial, no such committee has issued any tender for the project while in this case a vary wrong precedence has been set just because MMRDA has failed to realize it's power due to inept leadership.
Anil Galgali demanded that MMRDA should follow strict procedures while awarding any project. Also, as per CVC guidelines, architects and advisors should adhere to the guidelines of the Ministry of Finance.
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