The BJP in Maharashtra Saturday demanded that a special investigation team (SIT) of top IAS officers probe the multi-crore rupee irrigation scam. Vinod Tawde, leader of opposition in the state legislative council, said the committee must inquire into the entire gamut of the scam, estimated to run into over Rs.20,000 crore.
"It should be a white paper, not a whitewash paper giving a clean chit to officials involved," Tawde told reporters here. He said there was no need to set up commission headed by retired judicial officers or other officials.
"IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officers, who understand the issue, must study all aspects and bring out their report. It should include the amounts paid to contractors for dams, canals and other aspects of irrigation projects and their current status," Tawde said.
Last month, Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar quit as the deputy chief minister after his name cropped up for alleged irregularities in the irrigation department which he headed between 1999-2009.