B’day party got Anna in trouble
The P.B. Sawant Commission, set up by the Maharashtra government in 2003 to probe certain allegations of corruption against four Congress
ministers — Padamsinh Patil, Sureshdada Jain, Nawab Malik and Vijaykumar Gavit — levelled by Anna Hazare, had also brought him under the ambit of
the panel’s inquiry in view of the counter charges made against him.
The commission submitted its report in two parts in 2005. The portion dealing with Mr Hazare had analysed the functioning of all the 10
organisations to which he was associated on 21 counts. The major irregularity pointed out against Mr Hazare was the spending of `2.20 lakhs from
the Hind Swaraj Trust’s account for celebrating his 60th birthday.
Regarding the other 20 points, which dealt with the other organisations, the commission had said that they mainly reflected “maladministration” as
the panel had not pinpointed any financial fraud as such.
The “maladministration” pointed out by the commission related to the non-audit of the accounts of Sant Yadavbaba Education Trust, repayment of
“hand-loan” of the amount more than `20,000 in cash, contrary to income-tax rules, some small spending on the renovation of buildings of the trust,
non-accounting of interest for seven months’ interest on `2 lakh fixed deposit of the trust.
The commission had said that there was no “compliance” of the objections pointed out by the auditor of these accounting lapses.
“Thus, Shri Hazare was guilty of the corrupt practice mentioned at (1) above (spending `2.20 lakh on his birthday) and the acts of
maladministration mentioned in the rest of the columns,” the commission had concluded.
Mr Hazare had said that his supporters wanted to contribute money for his 60th birthday, which he had disapproved and agreed to celebrate it only
on the condition that the money be spent from the trust’s funds.
Mr Hazare apparently refused collection of money for his birthday to save himself from any charge of collecting any fund in his name.
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