Won't comment till CAG tables report: Deshmukh

Mumbai: Union Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today declined to comment on the latest CAG report which is said to have indicted him over a land allotment in Mumbai. “I would not like to comment on a leaked report. Let the government table it in the legislature, then I will react,” Deshmukh said over the phone from his  hometown, Latur. The CAG report, yet to be tabled in the Maharashtra legislature, reportedly raps Deshmukh for arbitrary allotment of a plot in Mumbai to a trust founded by him, when he was the chief minister. [caption id=“attachment_267788” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Deshmukh keeps mum about CAG report. Reuters”]  [/caption] Accordingly, a 23,840-sq metre plot in suburban Borivli was allotted to Manjra Charitable Trust by the state government on 28 September 2005 for setting up a dental college, at an ‘occupancy price’ of Rs 6.56 crore. There were four applicants for the plot, and Deshmukh approved the application of Manjra Charitable Trust without assigning any specific reason, the CAG report purportedly says. When asked about yesterday’s Supreme Court’s decision in the Whistling Woods case, affirming High Court’s decision to cancel allotment of land to Subhash Ghai’s film institute during Deshmukh’s tenure, the former chief minister again refused to comment, saying the matter was sub-judice. “I have filed an appeal in the Supreme Court to get the remarks passed against me by the High Court in connection with the case removed. Notices have been issued and four weeks’ time has been given to file replies,” Deshmukh added. PTI