RTI shows Adarsh probe panel drained Rs. 3.71 crore from state exchequer
16 Feb, 2014The Maharashtra government had constituted an investigation committee in 2011 to look into the allegations made against the former chief ministers, ministers and bureaucrats for allegedly granting favours to the beneficiaries of Adarsh Housing Society in Colaba, Mumbai. It was speculated that the government had spent around Rs. 7 crore on this committee.
However, the reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that the probe panel has cost the state exchequer around Rs. 3.7 crores. The reply shows that the panel involved a total expenditure of Rs. 3,71,46,450. The reply, provided by the upper secretary-cum-PRO of state General Administration Department, stated that the panel was initially given a three-month period to look into the matter, but the investigation took almost three years to be completed. The report of the committee held many bureaucrats and politicians including union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and four former chief ministers responsible for granting undue patronage to the tainted society.
The Maharashtra cabinet outrightly rejected the panel’s findings initially. However, later on the chief minister partially accepted the report and announced action to be taken against the bureaucrats mentioned in the report but it dropped all charges against the politicians.