Mumbai, Sept 25: “The irrigation scam is not just about the money [the scam has crossed Rs. 75000 crore and still counting]. It is about the shameless plunder of the state's resources to make meaningless projects that only benefit the contractors.
" It is about blatant violations of every rule in the book…CVC Guidelines, Governor's Directives, and even the Irrigation Department's own norms,” says India Against Corruption activist Preeti Menon.
Anti- corruption outfits like India Against Corruption are naturally jubilant over Ajit Pawar's resignation.
The irrigation scam came to the focus of anti-corruption activists, when the State Economic Survey of 2011-12 revealed that the state's irrigation capacity had shown a rise of merely 0.1 per cent despite Rs 70,000 crore funds pumped in the last 10 years from 2000 to 2010.
This led to a demand from opposition parties, with some winking and nudging from interested state Congress leaders, for issuing a 'White Paper' on Irrigation.
The demand for a White Paper drove a sharp wedge in the Congress-NCP coalition, with the leaders of the latter pointing fingers at their allies for provoking the opposition to make it an issue.
Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan directed Water Resources Department headed by controversial Water Resources Minister and senior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare to issue a White Paper to clear the air on the state of irrigation in the state – a move that was taken with a pinch of salt by the NCP.
Tatkare disputed the Economic Survey findings, claiming that the irrigation capacity had risen from 0.1 per cent to 5.17 per cent in the last decade.
While resigning, Ajit Pawar has recommended the Finance and Planning portfolio to be given to Jayant Patil, while the Power ministry to be given to Rajesh Tope, both from NCP.
Ajit Pawar's resignation comes at a time when allegations of reports his “hurriedly” granting project approvals totaling Rs 20,000 crore during an eight-month period without the mandatory clearance of the governing council of Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) in 2009 surfaced in sections of the media.
Reports alleged that Ajit Pawar had cleared more than 30 projects in the Vidarbha region at exorbitant rates between 2006 and 2009, at a time when held the State Water Resources portfolio.
“The responsibility for this decision is mine alone and no one is to blame for it. I have abdicated my ministerial posts and would henceforth continue as a legislator. I have sounded my seniors' out on this matter [of his resignation]”, said Ajit Pawar.
Reiterating that there was no wrongdoing in expediting the irrigation projects, Ajit Pawar defended the move by stating that cost overruns in projects pending for the last 20 years occurred due to the increase in the costs of raw materials in that period.
Many a times projects had to be prioritized in order to do justice to the drought-afflicted areas, leading to a backlog in the completion of many projects, Ajit Pawar clarified.
Denying that he was pressurised in giving up his post, Ajit Pawar remarked: “Even when people are doing good work, there are efforts to create an atmosphere of suspicion and doubt…If I continued amidst these allegation, then the people of Maharashtra would have accused of clinging on to my post.”
On the question as to why other senior NCP leaders like PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and present Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare have not resigned Ajit Pawar merely said: “Each one has a different way of dealing with a particular situation.”
Ajit Pawar said, he would want the White Paper on irrigation to be issued as fast as possible so as to end any doubts prevailing in people's minds.
The paper would be out by the start of the winter session of the State Legislature, he indicated.
