Adarsh: Maharashtra govt rejects Tiwari's leave application

Information Commissioner Ramanand Tiwari, who has refused to give his resignation despite his alleged involvement in the Adarsh housing scam, today had his long-leave application rejected by the state governor, K Sankaranarayanan. Tiwari had sought leave from January 7 to March 31.

A state government official, who did not want to be named, told Business Standard: “Tiwari is not in a mood to resign, as he fears that it may pave way for the Central Bureau of Investigation to initiate action against him. Thus, he wants to keep his constitutional post. However, his removal is now imminent, as the Governor has also not granted him leave. The state government will soon take the necessary action to remove Tiwari.”

CBI, which is conducting an inquiry into the scam, is expected to soon register a case.

Tiwari had replied to a showcause notice and had denied any involvement in getting an apartment allocated to his son. During his tenure as urban development secretary, various clearances were given to the development of the cooperative housing society, originally meant for the wives of Kargil heroes, However, except for two members from such families, the other 101 flats were occupied by bureaucrats and officials.