Maha govt agrees for judicial probe in Adarsh scam

Maha govt agrees for judicial probe in Adarsh scam

Maharashtra Government agreed to hold a judicial probe into Adarsh scam while outrightly rejecting the Opposition's demand for a Joint Legislative Committee (JLC) probe into the fraud.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan winding up the marathon discussion on the Adarsh scam, virtually admitted all the irregularities and lapses in the scam and announced to conduct a judicial probe into it.

Chavan, however, did not bow down to the Opposition's demand for a JLC.

The Committee will comprise two members -- a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge and an administrative officer of the rank of chief secretary, he told the winter session of Assembly underway in Nagpur on Wednesday.

The chief minister said the Committee will be constituted under the Commission of Inquiry Act. He also offered to accommodate all the suggestions and queries of Opposition in the probe.

Disciplinary action will be initiated against 21 bureaucrats directly or indirectly involved in the scam as per the provision of All India Service Rules of IAS, Chavan said, adding that it will cover even those who were involved in the decision process of allotment of flat to their family members.

On the missing papers from the file of Adarsh Society, Chavan said that the government has already initiated criminal proceedings and was carrying out electronic storing of documents to protect them.

Expressing his resentment over media coverage to the scam, the chief minister said the episode is like a media trial and the state government was considering to bring a code of conduct for media.

On alleged violation of Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) by the Society, Chavan said the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests was in the process of taking some action and has already issued notices on 12^th November.

Chavan informed the Lower House that the land where the Adarsh Society was built belongs to the state government and is in possession of defence.

The Society also violated the CRZ while acquiring the BEST land for additional FSI and therefore the Ministry of Environment and Forest was looking into it, he said.

The CBI is already investigating the role of Defence establishments in land allotment, construction of flats and allotments, Chavan said.

Earlier, initiating the debate in the House, Opposition Leader Eknath Khadse (BJP) had demanded a JLC probe into Adarsh scam.

When Maharashtra was celebrating Golden Jubilee of its existence, the state was facing a blot of number of scams, he has said.

The Opposition had already submitted a list of 33 such scams and irregularities to the Maharashtra Governor, he said.

The scam has brought disrepute to the state, Khadse said citing an example when the officers from Maharashtra posted for election duty in Bihar were teased by their Bihar counterparts over Adarsh Scam.

"Why only Chavan should pay the price and not bureaucrats and other ministers involved in the scam should face the music?" he asked.

Khadse cited example of involvement of top bureaucrats like Subhash Lala, Ramananad Tiwari, P V Deshmukh and Jairaj Phathak and others in the scam and demanded a JLC probe and initiating criminal proceedings under Section 420 of IPC against the bureaucrats.