Amid much fanfare, the BJP on Monday handed over voluminous evidence to the committee probing the irregularities in the multi-crore Maharashtra irrigation scam.
The BJP delegation led by state party chief Devendra Phadnavis and leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Vinod Tawde took bullock carts, symbolising the farmers affected by the scam, to the office of Madhavrao Chitale who heads the state government-appointed SIT probing the scam.
The 15,000-page evidence focus on the alleged irregularities carried out in the irrigation projects under NCP leader Ajit Pawar.
“The irregularities that mount up to thousands of crores dates back to 2000.
Several high net worth projects were allotted without floating tenders particularly between 2000 and 2006. The approval for the same was given by the then executive director and minister and that reveals their role in these massive irregularities,” Tawde said.
The evidence according to Tawde also reveals how Ajit as the then irrigation minister was involved in the allotment to the tune of `34,000 crore in a short span of time prior to the elections. The SIT appointed by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan after much hue and cry over the clean chit given to Ajit by his own department. Ajit had even dramatically resigned as the deputy chief minister for over two months to clear his name.
However, Ajit’s resignation and subsequent clean chit by his own department did not impress the activists and political leaders who were pursuing the irrigation scam. Chavan has given sleepless nights to his deputy too.