Govt clarifies tender error; BJP calls Cong criticism ‘childish’

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued a clarification after the Congress accused the Mahayuti coalition of planning to spend ₹150 crore on preparations for an upcoming cabinet meeting in Ahilyanagar district. The state stated that the actual tender amount was ₹1.5 crore, but a typographical error led to the incorrect figure being published in a newspaper advertisement.

The controversy began after Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal shared a post on X, attaching a tender notice from newspapers stating that ₹150 crore would be spent on arrangements including mandaps, staging, green rooms, toilets, barricading, sound systems, air conditioning, electricity, fire safety and CCTV setup for the cabinet meeting at Chondi on April 29. The meeting is being held to mark the 300th birth anniversary year of the legendary queen Ahilyabai Holkar, after whom Ahmednagar district was renamed last year.

In his post, Sapkal lashed out at the BJP-led government, accusing it of extravagance while claiming the state was under financial strain. He cited the discontinuation of pilgrimage schemes for senior citizens, unfulfilled promises under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, and the refusal to waive farm loans, while alleging ₹1.5 crore was recently spent on a helipad for Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to NCP leader Sunil Tatkare’s residence in Raigad.

Responding swiftly, the state government issued an official statement clarifying that the tender was for ₹1.5 crore, not ₹150 crore. The public works department (PWD) confirmed that the release order for the advertisement had the correct figure, but a publishing error by one newspaper led to the inflated amount being printed.

State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule dismissed Sapkal’s criticism as “childish”. “On April 21, the PWD, Ahilyanagar, issued an advertisement for works worth ₹1.5 crore for the Chondi cabinet meeting. Unfortunately, one of the newspapers printed ₹150 crore by mistake. Sapkal should verify facts before making baseless allegations,” he said.

Bawankule said the release order was published in two newspapers, but only one carried the incorrect figure.

Reacting to the minister’s remarks, Sapkal said, “Since you’re very senior in politics, I assume you can read numbers. Instead of childishly blaming the newspaper, check with your own public relations department — they’ve admitted it was an unintentional mistake.”