Adarsh report not tabled; opposition cries foul

Mumbai: The Commission of Inquiry report on Adarsh housing society scam was not tabled in Maharashtra legislature despite vociferous demand by the Opposition, which alleged that the state government was shielding those accused in the scam.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said in the State Legislative Council on Friday that the government still needs time to prepare an `action taken` report (ATR) and hence, the report would not be tabled. Today was the last day of the three-week long Monsoon Session of the state legislature. Earlier today, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, speaking in the state Assembly, put the onus on the state Chief Minister, saying, "I was told by Chavan that the Adarsh report will be tabled by session-end." The two-member commission of high court Justice (retd) JA Patil and former chief secretary P Subrahmanium was set up in January 2011 to probe the Adarsh scam with reference to specific issues, such as land ownership, reservation of the plot, town planning and coastal violations and the role of public servants. On the eve of the session, Chavan had hinted at the possibility of tabling the Adarsh panel report during the Monsoon Session. The opposition`s clamour for tabling the report came amid media reports that the judicial commission has spared three former chief ministers and found that rules were bent for allotting land and granting various concessions to Adarsh housing society in Colaba. The commission`s report did not fix direct responsibility on or pass adverse remarks against Ashok Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde and late Vilasrao Deshmukh and instead pinned the responsibility on some senior state officials, including some retired, for the lapses and for misleading the chief ministers, the reports said. Earlier today, the Assembly was adjourned for half an hour today after vociferous opposition members sought tabling of the Adarsh commission report. "The Chief Minister should clearly state the government`s stance on tabling of the report. Today is the last day of the monsoon session and there has been no word on tabling the report," BJP legislator Devendra Fadnavis said. "This (tabling the report) is the right of the House. Whose names are there in the report? Who is the government trying to protect," Fadnavis, state BJP president, said. Fadnavis asked Speaker Dilip Walse Patil to stop proceedings of the House till the CM makes a statement on the issue. As the noisy opposition members shouted slogans, demanding tabling of the Adarsh panel report, the Speaker adjourned the House for half an hour. Fadnavis had also raised the issue in the House yesterday, alleging that politicians from the ruling Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra have "benami" flats in the controversial Adarsh housing society. Accusing the state government of dragging its feet over tabling the inquiry report in the state legislature, he said those having benami flats included present and former ministers. PTI