Shiv Sena smells scam in centre's LED project

Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) The Shiv Sena on Thursday said it suspects major irregularities in a project involving installation of LED lights in 100 cities, including Mumbai.

In a signed article in party mouthpiece Saamana on Thursday, Sena MP Sanjay Raut raised strong objections to the BJP supported plan to install LED lights in cities.

The Shiv Sena-dominated Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants to replace the new white LED lights at Marine Drive with yellow sodium vapour lamps.

Raut alleged that union Power Minister Piyush Goyal has been largely instrumental in "the business of installing LED lights in the country at a cost of Rs.25,000 crore-Rs.30,000 crore".

"If an investigation is conducted, at least two (BJP) ministers could lose the beacons on their vehicles," Raut wrote.

The Congress rushed in with a demand on the lines Raut sought.

"We demand there should be a thorough probe into it," Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Sachin Sawant said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, defended the move ito install LED lights, before the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Replying to a calling attention notice on the use of LED lights, he said his government will ask all municipal corporations in the state to switch over LED as they are cost and energy efficient.

He assured that all the LED installations would be done in a transparent manner through bidding by EESL, a government of India undertaking without favouring anybody.