'Tea Scam' in Maharashtra: With 18,500 cups of daily serving, Congress demands probe

New Delhi : The Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday alleged that a massive 'Tea Scam' is prevailing inside the Devendra Fadnavis office, claiming that a total of 18,500 cups are being served daily.

Based on the figures obtained by an RTI, the Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam alleged that there is a dramatic rise in the number of expenses incurred on tea consumption in the CMO in the past three years.

Quoting the figures, she said the amount spent on tea has risen from Rs 57,99,150 (nearly Rs 58 lakh) in 2015-16 to Rs 3,34,64.904 (nearly Rs 3.4 crore) in 2017-18.

"This is a staggering increase of 577 percent. It means that on an average, a whopping 18,591 cups of tea are served in CMO daily... How is it possible?" he asked.

He also dragged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the matter and said, "On one hand, the Prime Minister takes great pride in saying that he was a 'Chaiwala'. On the other hand, Fadnavis has clearly taken this a bit too far with the massive and unnecessary expense incurred on serving tea in his office. Both the PM and the Maharashtra CM are taking the country for a ride in the name of chai."

The Congress has raised demands of a probe in the matter as serving tea to 18000 people daily at CMO office is a matter of suspicion.

"This is happening right under the CM's nose and in the CMO. It must be investigated who is doing it and action must be taken," he demanded.