Mumbai: Maharashtra Industries Minister, Narayan Rane, during his tenure as chief minister in September 1999, had sought a speedy inquiry and submission of a report
into ownership and other details of the land where the controversial Adarsh Housing Society stands, a senior revenue official on Monday told a judicial panel.
Jagdish Gharat, deputy secretary of state Revenue and Forest department, while deposing before the two-member inquiry commission, said the chief promoter of Adarsh society had on September 21, 1999 sent a letter to the then chief
minister seeking allotment of land.
"The then chief minister had referred the letter to
the Revenue and Forests department with an endorsement made in
hand writing saying `submit report immediately`. The
endorsement was made by Narayan Rane who was the CM then,"
Gharat said.
He added that the letter was sent by the revenue and
forest department to the city collector but no report was
submitted back.
City collector Chandrashekhar Oak while deposing
earlier before the commission had said that former Maharashtra
chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, during his tenure in 2000
had shown "unusual interest" in seeking information on the
status of the land in south Mumbai where the 31-storey tower
stands.
Deshmukh too while seeking information about the
ownership of the land endorsed the file as "urgent/important"
which according to Oak was an uncommon practice.
The CBI on Sunday examined Union Power Minister and
former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde during
whose tenure several clearances were given to the society.
In January this year, the CBI had registered a case
against 14 persons, including Ashok Chavan and some retired
army officers and government officials on charges of criminal
conspiracy, fraud and misuse of official power.
PTI
