Extension to committee probing 'scam' in Tribal Welfare dept

The Maharashtra government today extended the term of Justice M G Gaikwad committee, appointed to conduct an inquiry into an alleged Rs 6,000 crore scam in the Tribal Welfare department, by six months.
It has been alleged that the money was siphoned off during 2004-09 in the purchase of various items for curbing malnutrition, distribution of milch animals to tribals, etc.
Dr Vijaykumar Gavit, now a BJP MLA, held the Tribal Welfare portfolio then in the Congress-NCP government. Gavit was then with NCP.
A government resolution extending the term of Justice (retd) Gaikwad committee by six months, starting from July 15, was issued today.

The five-member committee was appointed by the state government upon an order of the Bombay High Court on March 27, 2014, during the hearing of a PIL.
The GR made it clear that the committee will not get any further extension as it had received extensions from time to time.
The PIL alleged that the Tribal Welfare department made purchases without calling for tenders, and the amounts shown as disbursed towards tribal welfare were actually syphoned off.