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Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar has been cleared by the Maharashtra’s anti-corruption bureau of allegations in an irrigation scam case in an affidavit submitted in the court.
The 16-page affidavit, dated November 27, was submitted at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay high court by ACB Superintendent Rashmi Nandedkar in which she has observed that there is no criminal liability on the part of the then Chairman of the VIDC (Minister of WRD) in respect of the process of granting sanction.
Minister of Water Resources Department is Ex-Officio Chairman of the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation.
“The payment of the EMD amount by the successful bidders for his competitors in some cases, issuing of tender booklets to some non-eligible bidders joint venture firms without following the pre-condition of the tenders etc. But these lapses are on the part of executing agencies of the tender work ie engineers, divisional accountant and the respective contractors. The chairman of the VIDC/Minister of WRD cannot be held responsible for executing agencies, as there is no legal duty on his part”, the probe agency said in its affidavit.
In its inquiry report, the ACB has also stated that ‘there is no evidence on record to say that the secretary of the department had briefed the minister of water resources department about not accepting the liability of the tender work’.
