Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab Alleges ₹1,400-Crore Scam in Dighi Port Project

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab on Sunday alleged irregularities and a scam in the Rs 1,400 crore Dighi Port Industrial Area development project in Raigad. Parab wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding a probe by an Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) into the tender process.

Parab claimed serious irregularities in the tender process for infrastructure development works worth approximately Rs 1,400 crore under Phase-1 of the Dighi Port Industrial Area (DPIA) project in Raigad.

Parab said the Maharashtra Industrial Township Limited (MITL) floated a tender for Package-A under the EPC model for Dighi Port Industrial Area – Phase 1.

“There are serious discrepancies in the experience certificates submitted by the winning bidder. As per the tender conditions, only projects completed within the last 10 years were supposed to be considered eligible. However, the company reportedly submitted details of a project from 2010–11. Also, the documents submitted regarding the nature of the work, project cost, and work orders were incomplete and inadequate,” Parab said.

Parab said, “Completion certificates for similar projects submitted by the company were self-certified documents issued by related subsidiaries or affiliated companies. This amounted to deliberate misrepresentation in the tender process.”

He added that in a similar tender floated by Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited, where the eligibility conditions were comparable, the company was not declared eligible.

Competing bidders raised objections before MITL Chairman and Principal Secretary of the Industries Department P Anbalagan and Managing Director PD Malikner over the issues related to the tender process, but these objections were ignored, Parab said.

Parab demanded that the entire tender process and the documents submitted be subjected to an independent inquiry by an ACS-level officer. “Since all related documents are available with MITL, the inquiry report should be submitted within 15 days. Minutes of the MITL Tender Evaluation Committee meetings, as well as any supporting documents submitted be immediately made available. All documents submitted by the winning bidder relating to the tender eligibility criteria should be made public,” Parab said.

Dighi Port is a privately operated all-weather multipurpose sea port located in Raigad. The port handles a wide variety of cargo, including bulk, break-bulk, liquid, containers, and specialized project cargo.