Toothless SIT is result of Contractors-Political Parties Nexus-VJAS

Toothless SIT is result of Contractors-Political Parties Nexus-VJAS

Nagpur – 21st   December 2012

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday categorically ruled out constituting special investigation team (SIT) to probe the irrigation scam under Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1955  to save deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and water resources minister Sunil Tatkare allegedly involved in the scam that had stalled winter session for four days, has vindicated stand taken activists that SIT headed by water expert without statutory power is just eye-wash and stage managed show of  all political parties to mislead public and this is happening due to unholy nexus of NCP-BJP  with directly involved contractors who are now law makers with help of these parties hence we are urging Mah. Govt . to crap this SIT and order   a judicial probe or CBI enquiry into Rs.70,000 crore scam, Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS)  informed in press release today.

As there is no provision in Commission of Inquiry Act that there should be a judicial member on the panel and it is only if a panel constituted under COI Act, the government had to mandatorily give all the statements on oath and such SIT becomes a quasi-judicial with judicial powers to summon bureaucrats, government officials, ministers and experts. There will be regular hearings and those will be deemed judicial proceedings under Section 193 and 228 of IPC. It will be just like regular court hearings but existing SIT under Madhav chitale is mare criminal waste of time and money and nothing will come out even inquiries made by Nandkumar Vadnere and HT Mendgiri committees were not under this Act and therefore the government was not duty bound to act against the guilty hence till date there is action against all involved in ,Tiwari said.

It is alleged in PIL before Nagpur bench of Mumbai high-court that   the cost of 38 irrigation projects coming under VIDC rose dramatically by a whopping Rs20,000 crore in just seven months in 2009 - from Rs6,672 crore to Rs26,722 crore. It also claimed that 30 projects were granted quick approval in just four days and Mah. deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is directly involved in this scam,Tiwari added. 

‘In fact irrigation Vidarbha for years suffered neglect under irrigation department run by western Maharashtra politicians but irrigation scam of state’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar who was state's irrigation minister from 1999 to 2009 and also ex-officio chairman of VIDC and then Sunil Tatkare is massive one as  38 ongoing irrigation schemes by increasing their estimated costs by over four times to Rs 26,722.23 crore from the original Rs 6672.27 crore. This happened in a single year - 2009 - with a majority of approvals given in three months, between June and August, just a couple of months before the state elections by going  out of the way to favour a group of contractors that included Rajya Sabha member Ajay Sancheti, Sancheti who has a major stake in irrigation business is reported to be also close to Pawar. A group of contractors including Sancheti, Avinash Bhosle of Pune who was named in CIDCO land scam and Yavatmal MLC Sandip Bajoria ,MLC Mitesh Bangadiya, a contractor are among the chosen few to have got mobilization advance even though there was no such clause in original tender document. It is highly shocking MP Ajay Sancheti circumvented the rules to bag contracts hence we demand criminal action against all are involved in this irrigation scam amounting more tha Rs.30,000 crore and this main issue which has lost it’s focus hence we are upset as SIT announcement is just another time pass and free passage to corrupt ministers and lawmaker-cum-contractors ’Tiwari said.

"The unholy nexus of these contractors with NCP-BJP  has waken voice of opposition and their safe passage guilty ministers and contractors by way of tooth non-statutory SIT is nothing but sabotage  public faith and parting with corruption taht will have very serious implication in future hence till there is time for BJP to rectify the stand and demand scraping of toothless SIT over irrigation scam" Tiwari urged.