The ACB sought the permission, after an activist Praveen Wategaonkar submitted a letter, seeking an offence be registered against Ajit Pawar (who was water resources minister during 1999-2010) and Tatkare (who succeeded him until he resigned as water resources minister in June 2014) and officials of the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) for their alleged role in the scam.
A former union minister and NCP general secretary, who did not want to be quoted, told reporters that the government would take a call on the permission sought by ACB.
Also Read
The NCP leader said the party would prepare a booklet detailing the position of Pawar and Tatkare and their role in the alleged multi-crore scam. He recalled that a special investigation team, headed by water expert Madhav Chitale, had not mentioned either Pawar or Tatkare but pointed out some lapses and financial irregularities in the process of awarding the irrigation contracts.
Tatkare alleged that it was a political conspiracy to malign his and Pawar's image, especially when the Assembly polls are round the corner.
Meanwhile, state Bharatiya Janata Party chief Devendra Fadnavis demanded that Pawar should immediately resign as DCM, accepting the moral responsibility. Fadnavis claimed that ACB's move has substantiated his charge with regard to the alleged involvement of Pawar and Tatkare in the irrigation scam.