Nagpur: After getting a rap from the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court for making little progress in the multi-crore irrigation scam, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday informed that it would be constituting two special investigations teams (SITs) for Nagpur and Amravati. Both would work under the respective superintendents of the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
The division bench comprising justices Bhushan Gavai and Murlidhar Giratkar then directed the ACB to provide copies of chargesheets filed in the scam related cases to petitioners before adjourning the plea by two weeks. The government’s response came after HC slammed it over abject failure to probe the scam and even remarked that remarked that “it needs to wake up from the slumber”.
After the chief secretary Sumit Mullick cited lack of manpower and logistics problems, the HC also warned of constituting an SIT to probe the scam, in last hearing.
The court was hearing three PILs related to the scam which were clubbed. The first one was filed by social worker Mohan Karemore, the second by NGO Janmanch through counsel Firdos Mirza and third by Atul Jagtap through lawyer Shridhar Purohit.
Mullick informed the court that two SITs would be assisted by one additional SP who will have a team of three deputy SPs, eight police inspectors and other police staff. The SIT would also be provided necessary legal assistance and technical help in areas of auditing, to speed up the investigations.
“The government is ready to support ACB for conducting investigations into the allegations of malpractices, irregularities and corruption in various irrigation projects in state with requisite seriousness,” he said.
While assuring that the probe would be conducted in transparent and fair manner. Accordingly, the directives were assured to concerned authorities to complete formalities diligently and expeditiously.
The chief bureaucrat added that Amravati ACB is enquiring into 26 projects while Nagpur into 17 and Thane 12. Of them, offences are lodged into 16 projects against the contractors and VIDC officials, while chargesheet was filed in two. He informed that the government had appointed Madhav Chitale committee to inquire into irregularities in VIDC projects and based on its report, open probe was ordered on March 25, 2015.
Defending the delay, Mullick informed that ACB has to probe into tender process by scanning and analysing voluminous documents, recording statements, collecting and collating evidences, obtaining expert opinions on various technical and legal issues, and thereafter, arriving at logical and legal conclusion. “Considering these voluminous tasks, the inquiry officers need sufficient time to complete the probe,” he said.
During last hearing, the HC pointed out that little progress was being made into the scam even after three years and three months, after then advocate General Sunil Manohar made a statement in December 2014, that the ACB was conducting an open enquiry of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, his close aide and ex-water resources minister Sunil Tatkare and ex-PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal, in connection with the scam.
