Maharashtra's ₹3,200 Crore Sanitation Scam Alleged by Vijay Wadettiwar

Vijay Wadettiwar, the Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra, has raised serious allegations against the state's Public Health Department, claiming a significant scam involving sanitation services. The controversy began when a tender for sanitation services was approved on April 21, 2022, for 27,869 hospital beds across eight circles in Maharashtra. Initially, the project was sanctioned for Rs77.55 crore, but the ruling party later escalated this amount to Rs638 crore, which Wadettiwar argues is a violation of financial regulations. He highlighted that the daily rates for sanitation services saw drastic increases, with internal cleaning rates rising from Rs30 in 2022 to Rs84 in 2023, and external cleaning rates from Rs3 to Rs9.40. This led to a tenfold increase in the tender value, despite the budget allocation being only Rs60 crore. Wadettiwar pointed out that the tender process did not adhere to the allocated budget, which constitutes a breach of financial discipline. Following the initial tender issuance, a petition was filed in the High Court, resulting in the cancellation of the 2023 administrative approval. In response, the Health Minister quickly reissued the tender, raising concerns about the integrity of the process. Wadettiwar has called for a high-level commission inquiry to investigate the allegations of manipulation and favoritism in the tender process, questioning whether undue pressure was exerted by officials from the minister's office. The situation has sparked significant political controversy in Maharashtra, highlighting issues of governance and accountability in public health management.