AUGUST 20: A contractor today exposed the nexus between the BMC, corporators and contractors when he openly said his company will accept the contract only if civic employees, standing committee members and other corporators do not demand bribes.The standing committee meeting held today witnessed uproarious scenes even as ``hurt'' corporators, cutting across party lines, demanded action against contractor Narendra Mehta of The Innovator Co, who stood up while making a bid.However, BJP corporator and committee chairman Sardar Tarasingh candidly confirmed the truth in the contractor's demand. ``It's not new. At least 50 per cent of the contract amount is given away as bribes,'' he said, drawing severe protests from Congress members.Mehta told Newsline: ``I had to resort to this as I was constantly harassed for bribes by former chairmen and the controllers of stores. For each contract, 10 per cent of its amount has to be bribed to corrupt officials and corporators.'' His company, while responding to the tenders, insisted that its conditions be included as a special clause in all rate circulars and other contract documents. ``Earlier, they demanded only money. Now they are demanding partnership in the business itself,'' he added. The issue was taken up for discussion to sanction the purchase of cotton bedsheets, coats and vests for civic hospitals at a cost of Rs 33,67,887. The BMC had clarified that the condition put up by the company was ``highly objectionable, unethical and unwarranted.'' It further stated, ``If the contractor had past experiences of demands of bribes, he should have reported the same to the anti-corruption agencies.'' The administration decided that the bid should be ``left out of consideration'' altogether.Additional Municipal Commissioner Shridhar Joshi said, ``We opted not to consider the bid as it would have been unjust for the clean officials and corporators. If this condition had been accepted, it will give an impression that all officials and corporators are corrupt.''
