Ajit Pawar again emerges shining clean in irrigation scam

The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau on Thursday filed a fresh affidavit in the Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench), giving a ‘clean chit’ to senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar in alleged scams concerning a dozen irrigation projects under the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC), officials said here on Friday.

The affidavit was filed by Director-General of Police (ACB) Parambir Singh, stating that on Ajit Pawar’s role in the issue, “no criminal liability is disclosed during the course of inquiry/investigations by the Special Investigation Team”.

An earlier affidavit was submitted to the same court on Nov. 27, had also ruled out Ajit Pawar’s involvement in any of the cases of alleged irregularities in sanctioning and executing the VIDC projects, into the total alleged scam of Rs.70,000 crores.

That affidavit was filed hours after the 80-hour government of ex-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and ex-Deputy CM Ajit Pawar collapsed – raising eyebrows in political circles, as the NCP legislator from Baramati (Ajit Pawar) was a Chairman of VIDC at the relevant period, and Minister for Water Resources Development from 1999-2009.

Amid a political furore, the ACB sought to clear the air by saying that it is probing a total of 2,654 tenders pertaining to 45 VIDC projects, as per two public interest litigations filed in 2012 before the Bombay HC in Nagpur.

Of these, open probe was completed in 212 tenders, First Information Reports filed in 24 cases and chargesheets in another five cases.

The open enquiry was shut in 45 tenders as no criminal offences were found in the past five months, 28 matters recommended for departmental enquiries for administrative lapses by officials.

The nine files closed on Nov. 25 – when Ajit Pawar was part of the 80-hour long two-man government – concerned big and small VIDC projects in Washim, Yavatmal, Amravati and Buldhana, and clubbed with others, were collectively referred to as the sensational Rs.70,000-crore irrigation scam.

In its status report submitted to the HC vide the Nov. 27 affidavit, the ACB made it clear that probe continues into the VIDC, in some cases chargesheets have been filed and FIRs lodged.-IANS news