Pressure from Delhi combined with restive colleagues forced Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan to submit a four-line ATR on the last day of the winter session saying the Cabinet was rejecting the report.
On the ATR, the Cabinet member said it was proposed to take stringent disciplinary action against all bureaucrats named in the report as per the provisions of the All India Service (conduct and discipline) Rules and Maharashtra civil service rules.
“It was unacceptable that bureaucrats dealing with the Adarsh file or working in the CM’s office had misused their position to secure flats in the society. Chavan was of the view that they must be taken to task, an independent departmental probe initiated and action taken accordingly,” the minister said.
On the ongoing probe by the CBI, it was proposed that the agency should be asked to continue criminal proceedings against those officials named in its FIR or those held guilty of quid pro quo.
Asked about the governor’s decision to refuse permission to prosecute former chief minister Ashok Chavan, the minister said it was felt the decision was taken in a hurry and without consulting the state government or the Cabinet. “Our information is that though there was four months’ time for the government to respond to the CBI request, he took the decision immediately. We don’t know if he needs to consult the state government on such proposals, but it’s a fact that Raj Bhavan did not approach the government,” he said.
While political observers say the rejection of the Adarsh judicial commission’s report has damaged chief minister Prithviraj Chavan’s image, in an hour long interaction with media persons, the CM maintained it was not his individual decision, but that of the cabinet. “I was unhappy with the entire Adarsh episode. We appointed the commission and it did submit the report. However,the cabinet decided to reject it.’’
Significantly, Chavan did make crucial comments on the Adarsh scam as well as politicians’ and bureaucrats’ involvement in it, but later withdrew them for obvious political reasons.
After the unceremonious exit of former chief minister Ashok Chavan following his role in the Adarsh scam, Prithviraj Chavan took over the reins and set up a two-member judicial commission.
BJP leader Eknath Khadse said he gave false hopes to the people of Maharashtra. “We were banking on his clean image. Since there was a deliberate delay in tabling of the report, we knew the recommendations of the commission will be given a decent burial. It did happen like that. We feel that Chavan lacks the courage to take on corrupt bureaucrats and politicians.” Khadse said Chavan must give people of Maharashtra specific reasons for rejection of the report.
Wonder what is the opinion of Rahul Gandhi on the rejection of the Report on the Adarsh Scam?
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