Nod for FIRs in irrigation scam pending with WRD official: ACB

The ACB's seven proposals for filing FIRs against senior government officials in connection with an alleged multi-crore irrigation scam in Maharashtra are lying pending with principal secretary of the state water resources department (WRD), an official has said.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) needs an approval of the water resources department's principal secretary for filing FIR against officials of the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The scam, pegged at around Rs 70,000 crore, relates to alleged corruption and irregularities in approval and execution of various irrigation projects in Maharashtra during the previous Congress-NCP rule.

"The proposals for filing FIRs are pending with the water resources department's principal secretary since August last year. Hence, FIRs in seven contracts allotted by VIDC have not yet been registered," Superintendent of Police, ACB Nagpur, Rashmi Nandedkar told reporters here on Saturday.

Asked whether NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's role was found in the cases under investigation, the official said, "His involvement is not yet found in any case so far."