Punish guilty but Adarsh probe can’t be kept on hold, says CM

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday expressed concern over the ongoing Adarsh inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), pointing out that it should not be delayed or kept hanging for long.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday expressed concern over the ongoing Adarsh inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), pointing out that it should not be delayed or kept hanging for long.

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“I hope this inquiry is concluded soon. Those who are guilty should be punished. But, it should not be kept pending,” said Chavan.

Chavan said this when asked whether the morale of IAS officials in the government was at an all-time low since at least four senior bureaucrats had been sent behind bars in the Adarsh scam.

Chavan has batted for bureaucrats earlier, pointing out that it is unfair to keep officials behind bars for so long, without filing a charge sheet. All bureaucrats arrested in the scam have now been released on bail after the CBI failed to file the chargesheet within the stipulated 60 days.

He denied, however, that the bureaucracy in Maharashtra was looking for an exit option given the circumstances, by opting for voluntary retirement or private sector jobs.

Chavan said: “Even if an IAS officer wants to opt for private service, there is a cooling-off period of two years as mandated by Central norms. Also, ideally, he should not take up assignments in areas where he has worked in the government, on grounds of propriety.”

Sources said that the IAS lobby has met Chavan at least thrice in the past to discuss measures to protect senior bureaucrats from law enforcement agencies as the action taken in the Adarsh scam had shaken officials.

“Often senior bureaucrats clear tons of files in a day. Even an unintentional mistake in this can be construed as offence by law enforcement agencies. Often, in their zeal, the investigating agencies do not understand the government processes. Ideally, before a senior bureaucrat is arrested, a formal request should go to the chief secretary and cleared,” said a senior official.