After Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar resigned following allegations of irregularities in the irrigation sector, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday claimed that the chief engineer, who demanded an inquiry into various scandals, was mentally unbalanced.
Vijay Pandhare, chief engineer, Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI), Nashik, had first written a letter on February 20, 2012, to the Chief Minister, listing various scandals in the irrigation department, and alleging losses to the tune of Rs. 40,000-50, 000 crore. He referred to the unholy nexus among contractors, officials, and politicians, which was resulting in the losses, and demanded an investigation by a transparent, independent, technical committee. The government asked Pandhare to expand his handwritten 15-page letter, after which he sent another list of allegations to the government in May.
