)
The ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has received a respite after the Bombay high court has disposed of PIL seeking CBI inquiry into the multi crore irrigation scam.
Further, NCP has also heaved a sigh of relief after the state Governor K Sankarnarayanan has decided not to appoint additional members to the special investigation team (SIT) chaired by water expert Madhav Chitale to probe the irrigation scam.
The petition was filed by Sangola based Uttamrao Ghatule with a plea to hand over the probe to CBI. SIT headed by Chitale comprises former finance secretary AKD Jadhav, retired agriculture commissioner Krishna lavekar and former irrigation secretary V M Ranade.
NCP admits that this is a temporary respite as there are at least three other petitions pending before various courts for admission or for judgement in connection with irrigation scam.
NCP minister, who did not want to be identified, told Business Standard ''We will await further judgements. Ministers have already made statements in and outside the legislature that the irrigation potential and the area under irrigation have both increased since 1999. The government in its white paper has also given project wise details and the reasons for its delays and increase in cost.''
High court's order comes at a time when the state government on June 30 had given six months extension up to December 31 to SIT to complete its probe.
SIT is inquiring into the cost escalation of 38 irrigation projects being implemented by the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) within a span of seven months in 2009 by a whopping Rs 20,050.06 crore to Rs 26,722.33 crore from Rs 6,672.27 crore.
Thirty out of the 38 projects were granted hurried approvals in just four days including 11 projects on August 14, 2009, 10 projects on June 2009, 5 projects on July 7, 2009 and 4 projects on August 18, 2009.
As per the terms of reference, the SIT among other thins has been asked to fix the responsibility for irregularities if found during investigations and suggest actions against the concerned. NCP heaves a sigh of relief after Bombay HC disposed of petition seeking CBI probe into irrigation scam.
