MUMBAI, January 2: KDMC standing committee member Ramesh Mhatre (Congress) has alleged that some committee members have found a new way to get around the law: earlier, they demanded a 2 to 5 per cent cut from contractors for approving work orders, now tenders and proposals are kept on hold till the contractors cough up the demanded sum.Mhatre has made these charges in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, Maharashtra Director General of Police and Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau Arvind Inamdar, KDMC mayor Sharayu Pradhan and civic commissioner Madhukar Kokate.The letter says work worth crores of rupees remains stalled due to such corrupt practices. Mhatre has said only an ACB or a CBI probe can unearth the extent of corruption that takes place, and has threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike if the truth is not revealed. In November last year too, along with Vaman Mhatre of the Shiv Sena, Ramesh had raised this issue. His charges then were followed by an ACB swoop on two civic officials, though in a different case, and ``corruption in the civic body saw a marked decline,'' Mhatre has claimed.and Sridhar Mhatre,'' Ramesh said. Civic secretary C S Mane also confirmed this. ``I've sent notices to all members asking them to make it a point to come and sign work orders, but I still haven't got a response,'' he said.Deputy mayor and standing committee member (Ind) Uday Samel brushed off the allegation as a ``publicity stunt,'' adding, ``Congress needs some issue to keep attacking us.'' When told that his own ruling colleaiue Vaman Mhatre was supporting the move, he said, ``The two always indulge in making allegations.'' According to him, ``When people signed before, it was alleged that they were doing so after accepting money. Now that they aren't signing, that's also being held against them.''Standing committee chairman Vilas Mhatre too scoffed at the allegations, terming them ``baseless.'' Mayor Sharayu Pradhan, who was in Mumbai to meet the CM, could not be contacted for comment.
