The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has termed the Mumbai Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society episode a classic example of the “fence eating the crops,” which reflects a “consistent failure” across State and Central governments.
“This case would perhaps have no parallel anywhere else in the country where all agencies concerned have pooled their strengths not for a common national cause but for personal benefit,” the CAG concluded in a report placed before Parliament on Tuesday.
It said a group of select and powerful elite colluded to subvert rules for personal benefit and in the process, sought apartments in a prime location for themselves, resorting to falsification of the records, suppression of facts and used the noble cause of welfare of ex-servicemen and their widows.
However, while recommending that dereliction of duty and lack of probity and accountability be “seriously investigated,” it termed the option to pull down the 31-storey building “hasty and inadequately considered.”
It said demolishing the building would compound the problem, and suggested that instead of being allotted to those who fraudulently tried to appropriate it, the government could acquire the building and either use it for Central government housing and allot some to genuine war-widows as a deserving gesture. As for those members of the Society who paid for the flats, the report said they could be compensated as per law.
On environmental clearance, the report noted that both the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the department concerned of Maharashtra government failed to ensure compliance. It said “it would be reasonable to conclude that such an omission was indeed wilful.”
The Adarsh high-rise issue came to the fore last year. The CAG noted that while the Society was originally formed to help Servicemen, ex-Servicemen and their widows, its membership was expanded to include civilians, including IAF officials, politicians and senior service officers.
Keywords: Adarsh scam, Kargil war widows, CAG audit report, Ashok Chavan, environmenty ministry, defence irregularities
The building must not be allotted to community like war widows and similar categories.These people will sell through some documents and , in lieu of money.We can see enough example of such people in India,who are progenies of people who have sacrificed their lives for our motherland. The best way is to open either as hostel for outstation students, low cost hotel or a specialised hospital.Even modification to open some BPO centre should do.
like this the defence procurement by Central PSU as reported by CAG, the PSU procured materials worth Rs.4285.79 crore on single tender basis and Rs.6262.41 crore from foreign supplier, though the ministry says our defence products are indegenous, from competitive market. By making single tender that too from foreign suppliers, the magnitude of corruption cannot be imagine-see current audit report of CAG-BEL procurement audit
"This case would perhaps have no parallel anywhere else in the country where all agencies concerned have pooled their strengths not for a common national cause but for personal benefit." Nothing surprising as most of the public officials have preferred personal benefit over public good. Government officials through the world are not overly concerned with the public interest because they operate where the information is opaque and hence deception is considered worthwhile tactic.It will be futile exercise to anticipate more honesty from the public officials. Paradoxically it should be granted that it is the Government servants who can check on the dishonesty of their colleagues. The solution lies in reducing the Government in many of the public activities. More Government invariably means more corruption.
It is still too early to say what would be the outcome of all investigations in the Adarsh scandal and what would be the court decision. The various government departments involved as also the flat buyers are likely to stage a long legal battle to save their faces. However, as suggested by your correspondent, the government has to decide how to use the huge building. It would be foolish to demolish it and at the same time it would be improper to regularize construction if rules have been violated. Indeed a very difficult situation. But way has to be found to find a good solution.
Given the massive loss of life during the Kargil crisis are we being told that there are not enough numbers of 'Genuine War Widows' who could be allotted the flats? Why do we have to reinvent another scan by bringing in 'Central Government Housing'. Do we really care about our Soldiers who give their lives on the front? Shame on all of us.
Going by the CAG report, the cancer of corruption has spread across the Political spectrum, Bureaucracy and the Military. People without conscience driven purely by greed and self gratification have in a way showed the nation how easy it is to hoodwink the people and circumvent the laws of the country. Ultimate losers we the people, who could not provide comfort to the families of those who perished in defending our borders. We bow our head in shame.
Please Email the Editor