Irrigation scam: ACB clean chit to Ajit Pawar in 12 VIDC projects

The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday submitted one more affidavit in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High court, giving a clean chit to NCP leader Ajit Pawar in connection with the alleged scam involving 12 projects under Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC).

The affidavit was filed on Thursday.

A senior ACB officer told PTI that the agency's Director General Parambir Singh filed an affidavit in the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court that Pawar, a former irrigation minister, has been given a clean chit in cases involving 12 irrigation projects under the VIDC.

"As regards the role of Ajit Pawar, no criminal liability is disclosed during the course of inquiry/ investigation by the Special Investigation Team," the affidavit dated December 19 said.

The ACB had earlier submitted an affidavit in the same bench, in which it ruled out Pawar's involvement in cases of alleged irregularities in approval and commissioning of irrigation projects in the Vidarbha region.

The affidavit was submitted on November 27, a day before the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance was sworn in the state.

Pawar, the NCP MLA from Baramati in Pune district, was Water Resources Development Minister during 1999-2009 when the Congress-NCP combine was in power in Maharashtra.

Pawar had also served as chairman of the VIDC, which had cleared irrigation projects in which irregularities were alleged.