I’m innocent: Min caught in sting op

Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam has said his political rivals fabricated the sting operation aired on a news channel last week, reports Dharmendra Jore.

Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam has said his political rivals fabricated the sting operation aired on a news channel last week.

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The telecast showed Kadam abusing senior political leaders like Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Revenue Minister Narayan Rane. It also showed Kadam arranging transfers of government employees while the election code of conduct was in place. The channel claimed the film was shot in an ante chamber in Kadam’s Mantralaya office.

The Opposition asked to him to name those political rivals but Kadam failed to do that. “I have high regard for Pawar, Chavan and Rane. In my 25 years as legislator and minister, I have worked responsibly. I did not act in a manner that would defame any of my friends from my party or the Opposition,” he said. Kadam said he has served a legal notice on the news channel.

“They morphed it (the tape). They fabricated it. I claim they showed it when the Legislative Session was on just to denigrate my political image,” Kadam said.

Milk adulteration on Bill in pipeline

The state government plans to introduce a Bill in the state legislature’s ensuing Budget session to ensure strict action against those who adulterate milk and milk products.

Minister for Water Resources and Energy Ajit Pawar told the Legislative Council that the decision to table the Bill had been taken after members in the House raised concerns on serious health consequences to the masses due to adulterated milk. The members also spoke of lenient punishment given to the guilty under existing legal provisions.

Pawar said the government was equally concerned about the matter. Before the Bill is introduced in the budget session, the government might promulgate an ordinance, he said.

The issue came up for discussion in the House after a starred question raised by Rajan Teli of the Congress and others regarding milk adulteration in Nagpur district.

(Inputs by Pradip Kumar Maitra)