The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party coalition in Maharashtra went into a sudden crisis on Tuesday, with all the latter’s ministers handing in their resignations, on the alleged irrigation scam.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the subject of allegations of irregularities in multi-crore irrigation projects in the state during his earlier tenure as minister in charge, gave in his resignation to the chief minister’s office. However, the CM, Prithviraj Chavan, who cut short his Pune visit and returned here, refused to accept it.
Chavan is from the Congress and Pawar from the NCP. Both parties are ruling coalition partners in the Central government at Delhi.
NCP's 19 ministers and some party legislators gave their resignations to state party chief Madhukar Pichad, who told Business Standard he would forward these to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, also agriculture minister. “A meeting of the NCP's legislative wing has been convened on Wednesday noon to take stock of the situation and decide the course of action,” he said.
Sharad Pawar, also uncle of Ajit Pawar, said the latter had done the right thing. He demanded an official position paper (white paper) on the alleged scam at the earliest, so that the “truth comes out before the people of Maharashtra”.
Some NCP ministers and legislators said the party should pull out of the Congress-led government and provide outside support. Others said they should press the Congress for Chavan’s removal, for his “vindictive” functioning.
Ajit Pawar told reporters: “I am just an MLA now. I won’t accept any ministry or post till I am cleared of all allegations. If I had not resigned, people will think I am guilty and I do not want to give up my political posts.”
The irrigation scam was a major reason for the rising tension between the Congress and the NCP. Chavan had recently said a white paper on irrigation woud be issued, and a mere 0.1 per cent area was added under irrigation projects during the past decade, after spending Rs 70,000 crore. This was countered by the NCP, saying the actual increase was 12 per cent.
Ajit Pawar said: “I have no objection to a white paper.”
From 1999 to 2009, the irrigation ministry was led by Pawar. After that, it was given to the NCP’s Sunil Tatkare.
Pawar has been under attack as the irrigation department’s chief engineer, V Pandhare, had also levelled serious allegations over the manner in which expenditure was done. In successive revelations in a section of the media, Pawar was the focus of attention for reportedly approving 32 irrigation projects costing Rs 32,000 crore.
Pandhare had demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry.
