Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar accused the Devendra Fadnavis government of a Rs 70 crore 'Furniture scam' in the tribal sector. He also demanded a high-level investigation into the matter. On Monday, Wadettiwar told journalists that a tender was passed to purchase furniture for two lakh children staying in 502 ashrams, and for 58,000 students staying in hostels across the state. Items such as iron beds, chairs and table were to be purchased.
A tender worth Rs 345 crore was passed for Amravati, Nagpur, Thane and Nashik. For Amravati and Nagpur, the consignment was given to Spacewood company, while for Nashik and Thane, the work was assigned to Godrej company. However, Wadettiwar alleged that Godrej charged double the rates for furniture of the same quality as Spacewood. Why was the contract given to a company that charged twice the actual cost?