Mega water plan sinks

The resolution says the House was rejecting the proposal since the administration had not sought the approval of the civic body before floating the prequalification global tenders. It asks the administration to redraft the project and float tenders after obtaining the civic body8217;s approval.

Corporators did not miss the opportunity to launch a blistering attack on Jha during the marathon discussion, which continued for over four hours. BJP members were more vocal in attacking Jha with several of them demanding an inquiry into the project.

Initiating the discussion, Arun Dhimdhime said the PVA was opposing the project as the administration had prepared it in undue haste. He said the huge fund required for the project would adversely affect other development work.

BJP8217;s Vikas Mathkari, without mentioning Jha, alleged that top officials had hatched a conspiracy to the benefit of a foreign company. Welcoming the all-party opposition to the project, Mathkari said political parties had exposed the true colour of the administration.

He said the project was not meant to meet city8217;s water requirement, but to benefit a foreign company. He demanded that Kirloskar Consultants, who had prepared the report, be blacklisted. He wanted the House to appoint a committee to probe the irregularities in the scheme. Mathkari accused Jha of misleading and keeping the Government in the dark while floating the tenders.

Former mayor Kamal Vyavhare said the project cost was inflated as the consultants had assumed the per capita water consumption as 250 litres per day against the government norm of 180 liters.

BJP8217;s Ujwal Keskar said Jha prepared the scheme to reciprocate the Pune-Bremen friendship agreement and for the benefit of the contractors. He said Kirloskar Consultants had not bothered to discuss the project with civic officials. Keskar said Jha had always projected corporators in a negative manner 8220;while his black deeds were coming before the people now8221;. Keskar demanded an inquiry so that Jha8217;s conspiracy8217; could be exposed.

Ramesh Bodke of the Shiv Sena maintained that credibility of the PMC would be at stake if the House rejected the proposal. Admitting that there were certain serious lacunae in the scheme, he suggested that the administration remove them. He expressed displeasure that the administration had not taken approval of the House before floating tenders.

Ulhas Dhole-Patil of the Congress attacked Jha saying Jha would realise the power of the House at least after rejection of his project. He congratulated Water Supply Minister Anna Dange for asking the corporation to reconsider the project and hoped that Chief Minister Manohar Joshi would take the same view.

Vijay Mohite of the Congress also participated in the discussion.