Mumbai: Fresh allegations of irregularities have been levelled against Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde over the award of a dam-building contract to a private company.
The Rural Development department headed by the minister had awarded a contract to build minor dams in Jalna district to a firm headed by industrialist Ratnakar Gutte. But the company had earlier been disqualified under a technicality, despite being the lowest bidder.
The opposition Congress, which had earlier accused Ms Munde of a nearly 200-crore scam last week over the purchase of school supplies, has demanded her resignation.
Ms Munde, 35, has denied the charges, calling the matter a political conspiracy.
"The use of the word scam is a serious issue," she said during a press conference today. The move, she said, "came under scrutiny because though the company was the lowest bidder in the e-tendering, it was disqualified under technicality."
Last week, the Congress accused the minister -- who is also in charge of the Women and Child Welfare Development portfolio -- of violating rules during an online bidding and sanctioning inflated deals for the purchase of items for government-run schools.
"While I was abroad, the issue has created a storm in the state," Ms Munde said today, adding that she had submitted her detailed reply to the Chief Secretary before leaving for the US.
"The purchases were made under the rate contract system fixed by the Congress government," Ms Munde said, addressing questions on the issue that had come under scrutiny while she was on a visit to the US.
"I have not broken any rules. My intention was not to lapse the budget and ensure food reaches children," she said.
The allegations had plunged the Devendra Fadnavis government into its first major controversy over graft. Mr Fadnavis had backed the minister, saying there was no basis for the controversy and "prima facie, there seems to be no wrongdoing".