The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday sought an explanation from the Women and Child Development department about the alleged awarding of contracts without inviting tenders, a day after claims in this regard emerged against its minister Pankaja Munde.
ACB sent a letter to the department after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by Congress, which has accused Munde of corruption while awarding contracts for supply of a host of items, including books and snacks for <g data-gr-id="23">anganwadis</g> and other institutions.
"We have received a letter from ACB last evening where they have asked for information on the purchases done by the department. We are in the process of making a report based on the letter, which we will submit to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary," Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary of the WCD department, told a news agency.
The report will be submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by tomorrow and the government will then forward it to ACB, added Kumar.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant had on Wednesday registered a complaint with the ACB alleging that the WCD department had awarded contracts worth Rs 206 crore for procuring <g data-gr-id="28">chikkis</g> (a popular snack), medicines, growth monitoring machines, water filters, carpets and educational material for <g data-gr-id="29">anganwadis</g> on a single day without inviting tenders for the same.
As per state government norms, all contracts of over Rs 3 lakh have to be electronically <g data-gr-id="18">tendered</g>.
Munde, daughter of BJP veteran, the late Gopinath Munde, has rejected the allegations and said she is not afraid of any probe. Currently on a visit abroad, she said in a statement on Wednesday that she would reply to the charges upon getting back.