Chavan blames then CM Deshmukh for Adarsh allotments

Without naming Vilasrao Deshmukh,Chavan,who stepped down as chief minister last year following controversy over Adarsh,told the Commission probing alleged irregularities that allotment of plot worth more than Rs 25 lakh were made by the chief minister.

Deshmukh,who filed an affidavit before the Adarsh Commission on June 17,had put the onus on the Revenue department and the Mumbai Collector,saying he had acted on proposals sent by them on allotments.

Chavan has been named among the 14 accused by the CBI in its probe. He is accused of recommending 40 per cent allotment of flats in the Adarsh Society,originally meant for Kargil war widows,to civilians. Chavan is also facing allegations that his relatives got flats in the society.

Chavan has said,“There was no question of me suggesting that civilian members be included in the Society. Any suggestion that this was discussed with me or that I had suggested or directed or decided on the same is false and denied.”

“In the meeting,I have asked the department only to look into the issue relating to the allotment of land and call for the required information in the respect thereof. No decision was taken at the meeting.”

Chavan said the file on the verification of the Adarsh Society,the eligibility of members and value of the land,was placed before him in July 2002.

“At that stage the matter relating to allotment of land was still only at the stage of verification of the proposal and there was no question of the Revenue department having taken any decision on allotment of land,” the eight-page affidavit filed by Chavan said.

“This decision for allotment of land took place more than 16 months after I ceased to be the Revenue Minister. In view of this,I have no personal knowledge of any matter regarding the actual verification/approval of members by the department or matters related to allotment of the land to the Society,” Chavan said.

Chavan further said when he was Revenue Minister,his actions were only to seek compliance of the Government Resolution (GR) of July 1999 for allotment of land belonging to Maharashtra.

“Matters relating to the eligibility of membership of the (Adarsh) Society,reservation of the land or membership of the society for defence personnel were all matters which were governed by the GR,” said Chavan.

Chavan said the procedure relating to the verification of the relevant facts was undertaken by the Collector of Mumbai and officials of Revenue Department and this procedure went on even much after he left the Revenue Department.

Saying matters did not come under the scope of duties and responsibilities of the Revenue department,Chavan absolved himself on subjects relating to reduction of width of Prakash Pethe Marg,change of reservations from road to residential,deletion of reservation of plot reserved for BEST and issues relating to Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act,Development Control Rules and CRZ.