Adarsh scam: Chavan blames Deshmukh

It was former chief minister Ashok Chavan's turn to push the blame for the alleged Adarsh housing society scam onto his predecessors Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushilkumar Shinde when he deposed before the quasi-judicial panel on Saturday.

It was former chief minister Ashok Chavan's turn to push the blame for the alleged Adarsh housing society scam onto his predecessors Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushilkumar Shinde when he deposed before the quasi-judicial panel on Saturday.

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Chavan said the decision to allot land to the controversial 31-storey tower at the upscale Colaba area in south Mumbai was within the purview of the then-CMs, and not that of the revenue minister, the post he had held at the time.

Deshmukh, during his deposition on Wednesday, had blamed Chavan for the scam saying he had approved the allotment only after the revenue department had cleared it.

Reading out from a government order dated July 19, 2000, Chavan said, "All land allotment decisions in Mumbai city and suburbs, and Pune, have to be sent to the CM for approval."

The letter of intent for land allocation to Adarsh society was issued on January 23, 2001 - the last day of Deshmukh's tenure as CM. The land was allotted during Shinde's chief ministership.

Chavan also said vital facts like the land being in the possession of the military authorities and it not having a property card or survey number was not brought to his notice by his department.

Chavan had to resign after the scam came to light in November 2010. He is also one of the 14 accused in the case filed by the CBI. He will reappear before the panel on Monday.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the Congress steered clear of the blame game going on among the three former chief ministers.

"A Commission of Inquiry is on. We don't comment on matters which are sub-judice", party spokesperson Manish Tewari told mediapersons.