Mumbai:
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, deposing in front of the two-member judicial commission, today refused to answer questions on his membership in the controversial Adarsh Society. Mr Chavan was sacked as Chief Minister in 2010 after it emerged that three of his relatives had flats in the society.
Earlier in the day, Mr Chavan blamed former Chief Secretary D K Shankaran for the scam. Mr Chavan reportedly told the commission, which is probing the scam, that as the Revenue Minister in 2000 he had signed the Letter of Intent in 'good faith' after being informed by his Chief Secretary, Mr Shankaran, that the clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest had been granted and a strict scrutiny of the members of the society had been done.
Last week, Mr Chavan had also blamed his predecessor Vilasrao Deshmukh for the alleged irregularities.
Former Chief Ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde have already deposed before the Commission. While Mr Deshmukh said the revenue department, which was headed by Mr Chavan during his tenure as Chief Minister was responsible for the Adarsh scam, Mr Shinde had blamed the bureaucrats.
Mr Deshmukh had said that the land was allotted to the housing society only after getting a go-ahead from the revenue department, practically pinning the blame on Mr Chavan.
Mr Chavan, during his questioning last week, told the panel that in matters related to government allotment of land in Mumbai city, its suburb and Pune, the decisions are taken by the Chief Minister. Mr Chavan also said that a Revenue Minister is guided by the Principal Secretary, who first studies all the proposals.
The CBI has alleged in its chargesheet that in 2000, as Revenue Minister, Mr Chavan cleared the inclusion of civilians into a building meant for Defence personnel.
Since he was made an accused in the case, this is first time that Mr Chavan is facing a probe agency. Though three former chief ministers of Maharashtra - Sushil Kumar Shinde, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan - are being questioned by the judicial panel in connection with the scam, Mr Chavan is the only one to have been made an accused by the CBI which has registered a FIR against 14 people.