Tough on corruption yet soft on Chavan!
21 Dec 2013 5:49 AM IST
Despite getting a rude jolt in the just concluded round of the state assembly polls, the ruling Congress party seems to have not learnt any lessons.
And though party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has tried to take credit for the passing of the Lokpal Bill that seeks to end corruption, the Maharashtra government on Friday rejected the findings of the judicial commission of inquiry on the Adarsh scam it tabled in the legislative assembly on Friday. The probe report indicted several politicians including three former chief ministers for ‘blatant violations’ of statutory provisions. Incidentally, among the ineligible beneficiaries features name of diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who is under detention in US in another matter.
The report of the two-member commission headed by retired high court judge JA Patil came down heavily on those in authority describing the scam as a ‘bad precedent’ which reflected ‘greed, nepotism and favouritism’ by those associated with it. The panel found 25 of the society’s 102 members ineligible and 22 cases of benami purchase of flats.
The report said Adarsh society enjoyed political patronage of former state chief ministers, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Ashok Chavan, former revenue minister Shivajirao Nilengekar Patil, former minister for urban development Sunil Tatkare and former minister for urban development Rajesh Tope. Ashok Chavan was the only chief minister charge sheeted in the scam by the CBI, but Governor K Sankaranarayanan had refused sanction to the investigative agency to prosecute him a few days ago.
The beneficiaries included politicians across the spectrum and their relatives. Those found ineligible for ownership of flats included former Maharashtra Assembly speaker Babasaheb Kupekar of NCP, senior Indian diplomat in US Devyani Khobragade, former Shiv Sena MP Suresh Prabhu and three relatives of former Ashok Chavan, who had to step down after the scam surfaced.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said the decision on rejection of the findings of the inquiry commission was taken by the cabinet ‘in the interest of the people.’ He, however, refused to elaborate on how the cabinet’s decision was in larger public interest.
The judicial panel, however, acknowledged the state government’s ownership of the land and said it did not belong to ministry of defence, defence personnel nor  reserved for Kargil martyrs or war veterans. Ashok Chavan, during whose tenure the scam surfaced, was among 13 people who were charge sheeted by CBI in connection with the case. Meanwhile, the BJP targeted Prithviraj Chavan for rejecting the final report of the state-appointed commission.
Next Story
