NCP leader Ajit Pawar gets clean chit in irrigation scam case

By DAYANAND MOHITE | published: December 06, 2019 02:49 PM 2019-02-12T14:15:30+5:30

city : mumbai

The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has given a clean chit to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar in cases related to allegations of irregularities in irrigation projects in Nagpur a decade ago.

The 16-page affidavit, dated November 27, was submitted at the Nagpur Bench of 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 Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) in respect of the process of granting sanction.

"The payment of 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 i.e 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.Minister of Water Resources Department is ex-officio chairman of the VIDC.

Nandedkar, in the affidavit also mentioned, that during the verification of nearly 302 tenders, no irregularity has been found against Ajit Pawar in as many as 17 cases.

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