CM’s relatives quit Adarsh

Two of Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s relatives, who were allotted flats in Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society at Colaba, resigned from the society on Friday.

Two of Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s relatives, who were allotted flats in Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society at Colaba, resigned from the society on Friday.

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Chavan’s sister-in-law Seema Sharma and brother-in-law Madanlal Sharma had been allotted flats in the society.

Chavan’s mother-in-law Bhagwati Sharma was also a member of the society, but she passed away earlier this year. Chavan said her legal heirs were not interested in membership of the society.

Chavan said Seema and Madanlal had written to the society saying they were not interested in being part of it due to the controversy surrounding it.

The society has been accused of environmental violations and of getting the land on the promise that houses would be built for war veterans and widows but then allotting the flats to politicians, bureaucrats and Army and Navy commanders.

Chavan was neither chief minister nor revenue minister when the plot was allotted in 2004. Sushilkumar Shinde was chief minister then.

“Seema and Madanlal had not taken possession of the flats. Now they have written to the society saying they have resigned and their money should be refunded,” Chavan said.

He insisted he had not recommended their names for inclusion in the list of allottees. “They are my distant relatives and they may have got membership on the basis of their eligibility,” he said, adding that he never issued any clearances or allotments to the society.

Chavan said the government would examine the records of the scrutiny done by the district collector of the affidavits filed by society members, if necessary. He said this when asked whether the government would clarify if there were more relatives or aides of ministers and bureaucrats in the list of members.

CM summoned to New Delhi

The Congress high command has summoned Chief Minister Ashok Chavan to New Delhi on Saturday to give his version of the Adarsh Society controversy, said sources in the party. The party leadership is concerned over the controversy and, if Chavan fails to explain his stand properly, he could be in trouble.