Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Adarsh scam: CAG report indicts former chief ministers












New Delhi:  A latest report on the Adarsh Society scam indicts two former Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and names some top Army officers for flouting norms. 

The report, prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), was tabled in Parliament today. It says, "Maximum concessions were given to the Adarsh Housing Society when Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde were chief ministers. Mr Shinde was the Chief Minister when wrong environment clearance was given and the number of flat allotments was increased." 

The government auditor's report also indicts two ex-defence officers and Maharashtra Principal Secretary for wrongfully allotting the flats meant for Kargil widows to politicians. It also blames officials of the Defence Estate Office for dereliction of duty. 

Last month, Sushil Kumar Shinde, currently the Union Power Minister, was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a witness in connection with the Adarsh scam. The CBI team from Mumbai questioned Mr Shinde at his residence for close to two hours.

Mr Shinde and Mr Deshmukh are two of three former chief ministers of Maharashtra whose names have cropped up in the Adarsh land scam. The third is Ashok Chavan, who lost the chief minister's post recently after the scam surfaced. Vilasrao Deshmukh was moved to the Science and Technology ministry from the plum Rural Development Ministry in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

All three of them have filed their affidavits before the Adarsh Commission giving different versions of how the controversial high rise got the government's sanction.

Here are the main points mentioned in the report:
 
  • Land was in Army possession
  • Title not transferred
  • Defence Estate Office 'chose to ignore'
  • Son of defence officer proposed Adarsh
  • Adarsh membership expanded
  • IAS officers, politicians included
  • 'Elite' officers got flats
  • Maharashtra Govt flouted norms
  • Maharashtra govt officers became members of Society
  • Plan altered to accommodate Adarsh
  • Land for roads converted to residential area
  • Misappropriation of land in possession of Army
  • Violations of norms for high rise buildings
  • Eligibility condition relaxed to include members

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