Adarsh housing scam: CBI meets Maharashtra chief secretary
Central Bureau of Investigation officials today met Maharashtra Chief Secretary J.P. Dange as part of investigations into the Adarsh housing society scam.
Central Bureau of Investigation officials on Tuesday met Maharashtra Chief Secretary J.P. Dange as part of investigations into the Adarsh housing society scam.
The three-member team, led by CBI Joint Director (Western Region), Rishi Raj Singh called on Dange in Mantralaya, the state government headquarters, and sought details of the entire scam.
However, Singh declined to reveal the details of the CBI team's meeting with Dange and only told mediapersons that "investigations into the matter" are in progress.
On its part, the state government has handed over the documents on the Adarsh cooperative society to the CBI team.
The CBI had last week met committee members of the Adarsh society at Colaba in south Mumbai, to probe the documents concerning the matter.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar urged the CBI to initiate action not only against the defence officials in the scam but also bureaucrats involved in the scam.
Talking to mediapersons, he said when the chief minister Ashok Chavan had to quit, then action should also follow against the officers involved in the matter.
State officials will face heat if involved: Pawar
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who made a debut in the state secretariat on Tuesday after taking over his induction last week, said that bureaucrats involved in the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam should also face the heat.
Pawar, who took over the reigns of the state administration even as his senior chief minister Prithviraj Chavan got held up in Delhi, told media that the state had taken the issue very seriously and officials found guilty in the CBI probe would face action.
“In the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Vilasrao [Deshmukh] and the deputy chief minister had to go but no action was taken against officials. In this case, the top political leaders [chief minister] had to resign, again officials have not faced action,” he said.
He also said the state would co-operate with the CBI probe. This is the first time Pawar has spoken on the controversy.
Nearly 16 serving and retired government officials have flats in Adarsh. A majority of them were in positions of influence to push files and grant clearances for constructing the tower.