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Maharashtra cabinet rejects final report on Adarsh housing scam

The 700-page report, submitted to the government in April, has reportedly mentioned the names of four former chief ministers and other ministers and senior bureaucrats.

Former chief minister Ashok Chavan, who as revenue minister had hiked the FSI (floor space index) for the controversial building in Mumbai’s posh, Cuffee Parade locality, and had also allowed the promoters to sell flats in the building — meant for widows of soldiers killed in the Kargil war — to civilians, had got three flats in the building in his relatives name.

Chavan was sacked by the Congress high command after the scam surfaced in 2010 and he was named as a major beneficiary. But earlier this week, the Maharashtra governor rejected the Central Bureau of Investigation’s plea to prosecute him.

The CBI has now been forced to drop charges against Chavan after the governor’s refusal to give it the go-ahead for prosecuting the former chief minister.

The 31-storeyed building came up in Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai - where many apartments are sold at rates ranging upwards of Rs100,000 a sq ft - with the promoters violating several urban and environmental norms. Leading politicians, bureaucrats and even army officers managed to wangle flats in the building by extending concessions to the promoters.

However, the Maharashtra government has been reluctant to take action against the officials and politicians. The government was even reluctant to present the probe report to the state legislature.

It was forced to submit the report to the state legislature on Friday, the last day of the winter session, held in Nagpur.

Opposition leaders have slammed the government for dragging its feet on the issue.

news@khaleejtimes.com