Irrigation scam: Chavan orders probe against 45 officials

Mumbai: With the controversy over Maharashtra irrigation projects, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has ordered a departmental probe against 45 officials of Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC), who were indicted by a panel in 2010 for irregularities. The departmental inquiry had been pending for two years following the Vadnere committee report. Chavan, who was in Thane on Sunday, said that he had approved the probe while denying that there was a delay of two years in taking the decision. On why it took so much time to act on the report, he said the government had to conduct its own inquiry and later arrive at the conclusion of ordering a probe and added that this process takes time. The engineers, including VIDC’s former chief executive director D P Shirke, will now face an inquiry on several counts including having turned a blind eye to government norms while clearing escalating costs, not supervising work on site and not following tender conditions. The one-man Vadnere committee was set up in March 2010 following complaints and media reports over cost escalations, and official-contractor-politician nexus in approving projects in Vidarbha. [caption id=“attachment_482421” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Prithviraj Chavan in this file photo. PTI[/caption] When asked about his meeting with NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Chavan said he had two-three meetings with Pawar in the recent past wherein the issues relating to the state and Centre were discussed. On the Industrial Policy of the state, he said a few issues relating to the SEZ are to be clarified by the Centre. He said the policy itself was ready but certain issues relating to the SEZ need clarification from the Centre and only after that the policy would be released and implemented. “This will happen soon,” he said. To a question regarding the bifurcation of Thane district, he said the issue was on the agenda of the state government and will surely happen, but did not specify time frame for the same. When asked about the issue of the six co-operative banks on which action was being contemplated, Chavan said he was in contact with the RBI and also Finance Minister P Chidambaram in this regard. Asked about industries facing several issues in Thane, he said the issue was also being taken care of by the state government and it will be ensured that the workforce does not suffer. PTI