Zojila tunnel contract: Digvijay moves CVC against Gadkari

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 11

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today petitioned the Chief Vigilance Commission (CVC) against Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, accusing him of wrongdoing in the award of contract for the Zojila tunnel.

Parallel to the submission, the Congress demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack Gadkari if he was serious about zero tolerance to corruption.

Digvijay’s complaint to Chief Vigilance Commissioner KV Choudhry accuses Gadkari of nepotism in favouring Mumbai-based IRB Developers for award of the Zojila contract and says the Union Minister has close ties with Dattatreya Mhaskar, owner of the company.

“The Union Minister has awarded Rs 10,050 crore contract to a firm with which he has always had a close connection. This firm used to bag all 

major contracts when Gadkari was PWD Minister in Maharashtra,” Digvijay said.

“The minister’s son had a shareholding in Ideal Energy Project, a subsidiary of IRB Developers, from 2009 to 2011. This is clinching evidence of ties between Mhaskar’s family and Gadkari’s family. The IRB has no experience in digging high-altitude tunnels,” he said.

The Congress veteran further accused the Union Minister of violating tendering process norms in favouring the said firm. He argued that the minister deliberately eliminated competition to make IRB the single bidder.

“If there was a single bidder, the principle of Swiss challenge should have been applied. The rate of tender should have been made public for anyone to challenge it, but this standard procedure was not adopted,” Digvijay said.

“This is a clear case of corruption at the highest level and I demand that Modi should sack 

Gadkari if he sincerely believes in controlling corruption in the government,” he added.