Intervention by the Opposition, however, prevented the Standing Committee in its tracks, forcing it to postpone the decision.

In its meeting on Thursday, the Standing Committee came across a proposal to build a world-class table tennis court at the Sardar Patel Stadium, a tender for which was invited and the lowest bidder had quoted a cost of Rs 16.30 crore. Later, the price was brought down to Rs 15 crore.

The Standing Committee had also made up its mind on paying a pre-specified fee to architect consultant Parekh Associates. The project work was to be allotted to one R J P Infrastructure Pvt Ltd.

But according to Opposition members, the item was not included in the agenda for the July 11 meeting of the Roads and Building Committee.

“We were surprised when we saw the agenda for the July 11 meeting of the Roads and Buildings committee. The first item to decide in the meeting agenda of the committee happens to be the very proposal that the Standing Committee took up on Thursday.

The Roads and Buildings committee had apparently estimated a cost of Rs 22.95 crore for the sports complex project and it was supposed to forward the same to the Standing Committee. The latter, however, approved the Rs 15 crore negotiated with the bidder, without including it in the July 11 agenda. Now, the proposal has been returned to the municipal commissioner, said Roads and Buildings Committee Chairman Manubhai Kathrotia.

He refused to comment when asked if he felt that the Standing Committee had bypassed his committee’s agenda. Opposition leader Surendra Baxi said the whole episode smacked of corruption.