ADARSH SCAM: Judicial Commission passes strong strictures against four ex-chief ministers for patronage

Commission sent strictures against Late Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Shivajirao Nilangekar and Ashok Chavan; also, former MoS and present cabinet ministers Sunil Tatkare and Rajesh Tope

A two member judicial commission led by Bombay high court's former judge JA Patil in its report on Adarsh scam has passed strong strictures against former chief ministers late Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Shivajirao Nilangekar and Ashok Chavan and former ministers of state and currently cabinet ministers Sunil Tatkare and Rajesh Tope. The commission in its 670 pages report observed that the Adarsh cooperative housing society enjoyed patronage of above politicians. The chief minister Prithviraj Chavan tabled the report in the state assembly today amidt din announcing that its finding were rejected by the state cabinet. 

 

The judicial commission in its scathing report said ''Adarsh is not saga of ideal cooperation but it is a shameless tale of blatant violation of statutory provisions, rules and regulations. It reflects greed, favoritism on the part of some people who were somebody or the other associated with the Adarsh society. It is a sad story of unscrupulous greed of same persons closely connected with the Adarsh society."

 

Besides, the procedure followed by the Adarsh society for providing the names for membership was arbitrary and lacked transparency giving scope for nepotism and favoritism.

 

Furthermore, the judicial commission said Adarsh is a Sanskrit word which means mirror which reflects the image of objects which face it. However, the Adarsh society has reflected images of many persons who are in or behind it. ''Adarsh is neither ideal nor role model but bad precedent.

 

The judicial commission observed that the permission and clearances given was quid pro quo. It has named former chief minister Ashok Chavan, former state assembly speaker Babasaheb Kupekar, former secretary Ramanand Tiwari, former BrihanMumbai Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak and former officials Pradeep Vyas, PV Deshmukh and Prof SV Barve whose relatives or associates got the flat in the society in exchange of various approvals.

 

This apart, the judicial commission said 22 transactions were found benami which were prohibited under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988.

Moreover, the judicial commission said 12 government officials violated service conduct rules. They included Subhash Lala, Pradeep Vyas, Jairaj Phatak, Ramanand Tiwari, CS Sangitrao, DK Sankaran, IS Kundan, TS Benjamin, PV Deshmukh, Suresh Joshi, T Chandrashekhar and U Luktuke.

 

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan however  informed the assembly that in the action taken report that the state cabinet has  accepted the judicial commission's interim report  filed in April 2012 in which it had said that the land on which Adarsh society was constructed belongs to the state government and not of the ministry of defence. Besides, both the plot of land on which Adarsh building was constructed and membership to the society were not exclusively reserved for Kargil war heroes or their survivors. The state government's move to reject gives a much needed relief to former chief minister Ashok Chavan who is among the 13 persons charge sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Adarsh scam. This week, Maharashtra governor K Sankarnarayanan refused to grant permission to the CBI to prosecute Ashok Chavan. The former chief minister was accused of including a civilian quota for the Adarsh flats, in exchange for apartments for his own family members in that complex.