Raut claimed that in areas where the government has not conducted elections—or has no intention of doing so—administrative officers have been appointed, and widespread misappropriation of public funds is taking place. He alleged that cities including Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nagpur, and Mira-Bhayander are witnessing scams
Sanjay Raut alleged that elected representatives, administrative officials, and contractors are jointly misusing municipal funds. File pic
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Rajya Sabha lawmaker Sanjay Raut has levelled serious allegations of corruption amounting to Rs 350 crore in the Ahilyanagar Municipal Corporation. The Member of Parliament (MP) has and named local legislator Sangram Jagtap and accused the state government of “turning a blind eye” to massive irregularities in municipal bodies across Maharashtra.
Raut claimed that in areas where the government has not conducted elections—or has no intention of doing so—administrative officers have been appointed, and widespread misappropriation of public funds is taking place. He alleged that cities including Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nagpur, and Mira-Bhayander are witnessing scams worth crores of rupees, citing one instance in Mira-Bhayander where “a garbage bin was purchased for Rs 70,000” and asked whether “the bin has gold studded on it”.
He also stated that city chief Kiran Kale has submitted several complaints to the Chief Minister and the Anti-Corruption Department regarding the alleged corruption in Ahilyanagar. Raut further claimed that Rs 350 crore had been spent on the construction of 776 roads in Ahilyanagar, “which are nowhere to be found”.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader alleged that elected representatives, administrative officials, and contractors are jointly misusing municipal funds. Raut sharply criticised Jagtap, accusing him of posturing as a Hindutva leader by “wearing a tilak and saffron attire”, calling it “a mere show”, reported ANI.
Raut said he has submitted a file containing evidence of these scams to the Chief Minister and warned that “if no action is taken, the party will not remain silent.” He emphasised that the issue concerns public safety and described it as a form of “urban Naxalism.”
He also pointed out that such corruption is not limited to a single city but is spread across 27 municipal corporations in the state. He accused the state government, led by Devendra Fadnavis, of “remaining silent” on these alleged acts of corruption.
Raut reiterated that Rs 350 crore was spent on road development, yet the roads are “nowhere to be found”. He further alleged large-scale scams in collaboration with contractors, involving the Samruddhi Expressway, Adarsh University Highway, and procurement of materials such as sand and tar.
Responding to a government advertisement published in Saamana, Raut clarified that it was “a government-issued ad” and not attributed to any individual minister. He stated that “Narayan Rane has no personal authority over it.” Raut reiterated that Shiv Sena (UBT)’s fight is “against corrupt rulers and groups,” asserting that “the party knows how to take on the government.”
When asked about Raj Thackeray, Raut said, “There is no reason why one brother should not stand with another,” and noted that Raj Thackeray is currently with them. He added that Uddhav Thackeray had clarified the party’s position in a recent interview. Raut urged the media to “wait for the municipal election results” rather than repeatedly asking the same questions, referring also to Raj Thackeray’s recent post on X.
Raut went on to criticise Shambhuraj Desai for allegedly using public funds to construct a memorial for his father. While he acknowledged Balasaheb Desai’s stature as a respected Marathi leader, Raut questioned “the use of government money for the memorial.” He said, “If someone wants to build a memorial, it should be funded personally, not with public resources.”
He also commented on Anandraj Ambedkar, stating that prior to the Lok Sabha elections, Ambedkar had expressed his desire to join the Maha Vikas Aghadi and had clearly stated that he “wanted no association with the BJP.” However, Raut admitted that he is not aware of Ambedkar’s current position, though he is “now seen with the Shinde faction.”
(With ANI inputs)
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