Company Linked to NCP Minister Gets Food Supply Contracts for Govt-Run Hostels

Almost immediately after the controversy surrounding the appointment of nine ruling party MLA-affiliated agencies to employ contract workers, another dubious matter surfaced on Tuesday.

Contracts to supply food and milk to 443 hostels and 93 residential schools run by the social justice department have been awarded to two companies: one linked to BJP legislator Prasad Lad and the other to NCP minister Hasan Mushrif, about which the Enforcement Directorate had previously conducted an investigation.

According to the Monday order, the contractors will receive monthly payments ranging from Rs 25,218 to Rs 25,390 for each student. 43,000 students from underprivileged backgrounds currently reside in these dorms and schools.

In a joint venture with Kailas Food and Kirana General Stores, Brisk India Pvt Ltd has won the contract for Nagpur, Latur, and Amaravati.

The company made headlines last year when the Enforcement Directorate conducted a raid to look into any possible connections to NCP leader Mushrif.

Leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), Rohit Pawar, claimed on Tuesday that the contract was awarded to Brisk India Private Limited, a company connected to Hasan Mushrif, the minister of medical education. Pawar claims that the BJP had accused Brisk India of money laundering in connection with a private sugar factory during the MVA administration. Currently, the same business is in charge of providing meals to students residing in residential schools and hostels managed by the social welfare department.