SIT announced in March yet to be set up, CM Fadnavis irked

Maharashtra chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took officials from the tribal development department to task recently, after he found the special investigation team (SIT), announced in March to probe alleged corruption in scholarship schemes, has not been constituted yet.

Maharashtra chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took officials from the tribal development department to task recently, after he found the special investigation team (SIT), announced in March to probe alleged corruption in scholarship schemes, has not been constituted yet.

Fadnavis had assured the legislature the team would submit a report in three months.

After the state government realised about Rs 250 crore meant as scholarship funds for SC and ST students had been siphoned off, it had announced the SIT, and the tribal department was directed to constitute it with immediate effect.

Fadnavis learnt of the delay in a meeting to review the performance of various departments held this week. He was told that the file to set up the SIT was pending with the home department, as the team is to be led by a senior police officer. The chief minister then directed the officials to act swiftly.

KP Bakshi, additional chief secretary (home) said, “The file is pending with our department and will be cleared soon. We are appointing an officer of the rank of inspector general of police to probe the alleged irregularities in Gadchiroli.”

Fadnavis also directed the social justice department to clear in the next three months 70,000 pending applications about validation of caste certificates.

The administration has also been asked to eradicate manual scavenging from the state by March 2016.

Other key decisions
* Electricity connections to farmers who have paid the charges and have been in queue for years should be provided before March 2016
* Of the 2.27 lakh tribal citizens in the state, 70,000 to get pucca houses in the next five years.