Chitale panel collects papers on Maharashtra's irrigation scam

Madhav Chitale Special Enquiry Committee probing Maharashtra's alleged multi-crore irrigation scam has visited Yavatmal and collected important documents.
Important papers related to the Lower Painganga Inter State Irrigation Project, the Bembla River Irrigation Project and other major irrigation projects of the district were collected by the Chairman of the panel Madhav Chitale yesterday.
Executive Engineer of the Lower Painganga Irrigation Project Sudhakar Borse told PTI that three other members of the committee also visited Yavatmal and collected important documents from department heads of irrigation projects.
"Madhav Chitale himself visited the city on Thursday and held discussions with us," Borse said, adding that they handed over all documents demanded by the visiting team.

"We have handed over documents showing the reason for escalation of costs and related documents, including those involving the forest department. The committee is visiting all districts across the state to collect documents and their visit to Yavatmal is part of that exercise," Borse said.
It has been alleged that there was a move to hike the cost of irrigation projects across the state, with the connivance of Maharashtra's then Irrigation Minister Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
After the matter was exposed, Ajit Pawar had resigned as Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, though he made a come back.

It was also alleged that the three main contractors of irrigation projects from the Vidarbha region who enjoy a proximity to Ajit Pawar, siphoned off the lion's share of government funds, amounting more than Rs 75,000 crore.