Political Firestorm in Maharashtra: Rohit Pawar Alleges Rs 90 Crore Penalty Waiver for MEIL, Bawankule Dares Him to Prove It

Mumbai: A political storm erupted on social media on Monday as NCP MLA Rohit Pawar accused Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule of waiving a penalty exceeding Rs 90 crore imposed on Megha Engineering Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) for illegal mining in Jalna district. The sharp exchange of allegations on X (formerly Twitter) has once again brought the controversial Hyderabad-based company under the public microscope.

The confrontation began when Bawankule challenged Pawar to substantiate his claim. Writing in Marathi, the senior BJP leader stated, “Shri Rohit Pawar ji, You have made a very big claim. Prove that I, as Revenue Minister, waived a fine of Rs 90 crore on any company. Otherwise, retire from politics. Prove it!”

Undeterred, Pawar responded with what he described as documentary proof, sharing a written reply from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly dated July 11, 2025, asserting that Bawankule himself had admitted to reducing penalties imposed on MEIL.

According to the document, originally based on a question raised by BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar, district authorities had levied fines totaling over Rs 94.68 crore for illegal extraction of sand, murum, and stone during road construction. However, the Revenue Department allowed the company to settle the dues by paying just 11 percent in one case, while machinery seized from MEIL was returned following the company’s appeal.

The Assembly reply revealed that fines of Rs 38.70 crore and Rs 55.98 crore had been imposed in separate cases, but after appeals, the company was directed to deposit only Rs 17.28 lakh—roughly 1 percent of the total penalty—with other appeals still pending.

This issue gains further significance as MEIL has been under intense scrutiny in Maharashtra. Recently, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) cancelled a contract awarded to the company after rival bidder L&T challenged the tender process in the Supreme Court.