On the day when NCP chief Sharad Pawar asked people of Maharashtra not to cooperate with the government , the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Maharashtra police registered four offences over the alleged irregularities in the auction of irrigation works during the previous Congress-NCP regime in the state.
“Four offenses have been registered in Sadar police station of Nagpur on Tuesday over the irregularities in the auctioning of irrigation works related to Gosekhurd irrigation project under Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation,” Mr. P. R. Patil, the Superintendent of Police (SP), ACB Nagpur said in a press statement.
Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare held the irrigation portfolio during the Congress-NCP’s 15-year regime in Maharashtra until 2014.
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The four FIRs are related to Mokhabardi irrigation scheme in Metepar village, Gosikhurd left side pond construction, Mokhabardi irrigation scheme in Vadala and Gosikhurd right side pond construction project.
“The home department of Maharashtra government had ordered the ACB to investigate irregularities in irrigation projects under the VIDC. During the investigation, it was found that there were wrongdoings in the way the work was auctioned. It was also found that the then engineers, other officials of irrigation department and associates of the contractors were involved in those wrongdoings,” the ACB SP informed.
There was no mention of former irrigation ministers in the FIR and only irrigation officials and contractors were named in it. However, the registration of the FIRs is being seen as an attempt by the Devendra Fandavis government to put pressure on the NCP.
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The Cchief Minister had warned during a press conference on Sunday that he would expose the “dallamar” (theft) of Opposition leaders during the previous government’s tenure after the Opposition had attacked his government over farmers’ issues.