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Fadnavis orders audit to probe irregularities in Police Megacity in Pune
Fadnavis’ response came after Wadgaonsheri legislator Sunil Tingare demanded a probe into the alleged irregularities levelled against the police co-operative housing society by former police officials and other ranks
Pune
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced in the state assembly that the deputy registrar of cooperative housing societies will conduct an audit while the police will do a forensic audit to probe financial irregularities in the proposed Police Megacity in Pune.
Fadnavis’ response came after Wadgaonsheri legislator Sunil Tingare demanded a probe into the alleged irregularities levelled against the police co-operative housing society by former police officials and other ranks.
Tingare said that there were more than 7,200 policemen who had invested their hard-earned money in buying their dream homes in the ambitious police housing project.
“There is a massive fraud ₹500 crores wherein the former society members are involved. Policemen borrowed money, sold their gold ornaments, and invested their life earnings in the project but despite the passage of 12 years, they are still awaiting their houses. We demand that an economic offence be registered if the money is found to have been siphoned off by the former office bearers,” Tingre said during a discussion in the ongoing assembly session.
Replying to MLA Tingare’s demand, Fadnavis who holds the home portfolio as well, said that based on the diversion of money, legal action will be taken.
Currently, a private firm has installed machines and work is going at a snail’s pace and it won’t be completed on time. There is a complaint that another company is trying to take over from Billimoria, Fadnavis stated.
“A meeting will be held and if it is found that the existing company will not be able to execute the project, then legal options will be explored. The deputy registrar of the cooperative housing society will conduct an audit to check if money was siphoned off illegally and criminal action will be initiated if any financial wrongdoing is found during the forensic audit,” Fadnavis said.
Hindustan Times in its April 25 edition had highlighted the inordinate delay in the project.
The Megacity at Lohegaon is an ambitious project of the police for the police. The project started in 2008 and the land was acquired, and time went by since the inception. In 2018, the environment department gave permission which has come 10 years after the project.
The company’s financial condition needs to be checked.
“In this regard, Pune Police Commissioner took a meeting and in that, it was decided that the audit of the police co-operative housing society is needed to find out if any irregularities are conducted,” Fadnavis said.
The Maharashtra Police Megacity project at Lohegaon was sold as a dream residential project promising policemen spacious residences with top-class amenities.
In April, the aggrieved policemen under the aegis Maharashtra Police Megacity Project Bachav Samiti threatened to take legal action and levelled serious allegations over the functioning of the ‘Society’ claiming that its office bearers in 2023 approved funds to the same builder whom it declared a wilful defaulter in 2022.
According to the Samiti, approximately ₹525 crores was invested in the project out of which ₹350 crores was given to a private construction company for completion of the first phase of the project. The office bearers signed an agreement with the builder in which it was agreed that the builder would pay the investors rent until such a time they got rightful possession of their homes.
