Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday levelled serious allegations of a multi-crore corruption scandal within the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

In an official letter addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dated July 9, 2026, Raut demanded immediate action against a senior cabinet minister and municipal officials for allegedly bypassing mandatory e-tendering processes and violating Supreme Court guidelines.

According to the letter, several local corporators from Pimpri-Chinchwad met with Raut to flag blatant illegalities in the procurement of school uniforms, sweaters, socks, raincoats, and school bags for primary and secondary school students. State regulations mandate that any civic procurement exceeding Rs 3 lakh must strictly go through an “e-tender” system. However, a multi-crore contract was directly awarded to Solapur-based Jagdamba Readymade Dresses Sahakari Sanstha without any competitive bidding, alleged Raut.

Raut said that the matter had previously reached the Supreme Court, which had capped the procurement rate of the school kits at Rs 239 per unit. Instead, the PCMC administration allegedly awarded the contract at an inflated rate of Rs 814 per unit—resulting in a staggering overpayment of Rs 575 per kit funded by taxpayers. Raut estimated the total scale of the scam to be approximately Rs 400 crore.

He did not mince words, directly accusing a senior minister within the state cabinet of using political muscle to push the deal through. “A senior minister from your cabinet pressured the Municipal Commissioner to illegally award this contract to the firm without any tender process,” Raut wrote, invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s famous anti-corruption slogan, ‘Na khaunga, na khane dunga’ (“I will neither take bribes, nor allow anyone else to take them).

Raut further alleged that this pressure was driven by financial kickbacks rather than public interest, claiming that a massive cut of Rs 50 to Rs 55 crore allegedly reached the concerned ministers. He described corruption targeting school supplies for children as “deeply shameful.”

Concluding his letter, Raut urged CM Fadnavis to order an immediate inquiry and take strict action against the complicit minister and the PCMC administration. He confirmed that a complete set of documentary evidence detailing the alleged corrupt practices has been formally submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office for review.

–IANS

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