The Commission of Inquiry probing the affairs of the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society, which started hearing the matter here from Monday, has expressed displeasure at the “casual approach” of quite a few departments which could not produce all Adarsh-related documents in the prescribed format.
The Commission slammed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for its “casual approach” after Chandramani Khandare, senior planner of the Authority, failed to produce the documents in the proper format, despite taking an oath otherwise. “The problem with the witness is he does not understand what he is speaking,” Justice J. A. Patil (retired), chairperson of the two-member Commission, said. Even the list of documents submitted by him was not proper.
“Be responsible, be careful. Don't be casual. Don't forget, you are giving evidence to the court,” Justice Patil said.
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Except the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), no other department or authority submitted all the Adarsh-related documents in the prescribed format.
The Department of Environment, which was summoned to be present on Monday, did not even show up during the proceedings.
The first witness to be summoned for the day was the Maharashtra Chief Secretary. The official had summoned 27 departments to produce Adarsh-related documents to the Commission. Of them, eight departments were present.
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The Commission observed that the communication sent by the Chief Secretary to the departments was undated. The Forest Department said it received the letter on Friday.
Except the Forest Department, Public Health Department and School Education and Sports Department, all other departments and witnesses sought more time from the Commission to submit documents in the prescribed format. They have been granted two days to a week more to furnish all the documents.
Records submitted
The General Administration Department submitted the annual property records of all the IAS officers involved in the Society. It is set to submit the complaints received against these officers in the next two days.
The two-member Commission, constituted by the Maharashtra government on January 8 this year, will inquire into issues regarding the Adarsh Society.
P. Subramanium, former Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, is the member of the Commission headed by Justice J. A. Patil, retired Bombay High Court judge.