SIT report on irrigation scam: NCP adopts wait-and-watch policy

SIT in its report has not directly mentioned Pawar or the current water resources minister, Sunil Tatkare

The ruling Nationalist Congress party (NCP) in Maharashtra has adopted a wait-and-watch policy on the 1,361-page report on the alleged multi-crore irrigation scam submitted by the special investigation team (SIT) headed by water expert Madhav Chitale to the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.

NCP on Sunday chose not to make any comments on SIT's findings based on press and media reports, saying it would react only after the SIT report was formally released. The party signalled it was not keen to attract further criticism from opposition parties or give them an opportunity to get political mileage especially in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Chavan has granted 15 days’ time for SIT to vet the executive summary to be prepared in simple language for the benefit of the public. Thereafter, the state Cabinet will discuss it and decide its fate.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who was targeted by the opposition parties and various non government organisations for his role as the water resources minister during 1999 and 2009, declined to give his reaction. He told Business Standard: “I will speak only after the recommendations of the SIT will be formally released.”



NCP spokesman Nawab Malik also said the party would make its stand clear after the report will be made public.

Pawar had resigned as the deputy chief minister in October 2012 in the wake of expose in the irrigation scam. However, he was re-inducted into the Chavan-led council of ministers in December 2012. Subsequently, the government formed the SIT on December 31, 2012.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gopinath Munde, said the SIT report was an eye wash and the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government would conduct a fresh inquiry into the irrigation scam if it comes to power in the next Assembly elections slated for October.

SIT in its report has not directly mentioned Pawar or the present water resources minister Sunil Tatkare. However, SIT is believed to have made its observations on various administrative lapses and recommended a slew of steps to further increase the irrigation potential and irrigated area in Maharashtra in a time-bound manner.

Opposition parties and NGOs alleged that within a span of seven months in 2009, the cost of 38 irrigation projects being implemented by the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) escalated by a whopping Rs 20,050.06 crore to Rs 26,722.33 crore from Rs 6,672.27 crore.

Thirty out of the 38 projects were granted hurried approvals. These include 10 projects in June 2009, five projects on July 7, 2009, 11 projects on August 14, 2009, and four projects on August 18, 2009.

In its report, the Vadnere committee had also observed the cost updating of 37 out of total 137 major tenders were carried out according to government norms.