Mumbai: Maharashtra Industries Minister
Narayan Rane, during his tenure as the 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 Rane 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," he
said.
Gharat added that the letter was sent by the revenue
and forest department to the city collector, but no report was
submitted back.
Collector Chandrashekhar Oak while deposing earlier
before the Commission had said that former 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 building 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 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
