Eknath Shinde asks top official to hear out Systra, MMRDA officials over graft charges

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday asked a top official of the urban development department to probe the graft charges levelled by French consultancy firm Systra related to metro projects in Mumbai, sources said.

Aseem Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (UD-1), has been asked to ”inspect the matter after hearing company officials and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials”, they said, adding the senior bureaucrat has been directed to submit a report in 15 days.

Shinde handles the urban development department which has superintendence over MMRDA, a state-run planning and development agency.Systra works as a general consultant for various metro projects executed by MMRDA in Mumbai’s metropolitan region.

The French firm has alleged MMRDA officials sought ”undue favours,” delayed payments, pressured the firm to inflate orders to contractors, stalled approvals for critical staffing, and imposed arbitrary penalties.

The issue gained attention when the French Embassy sent a letter on November 12, 2024, to Rupinder Singh, the Resident Commissioner of Maharashtra in Delhi, asking the state government to investigate the matter thoroughly and to ”resolve the situation,” citing Systra’s complaints of ”severe harassment” encountered while serving as a general consultant on MMRDA projects.The MMRDA has strongly refuted the charges.

In a statement, the state-run agency claimed Systra ”misrepresented” certain facts to the representatives of the French government only after receiving the suspension and termination notices from MMRDA.