Even as the state claimed that the Adarsh inquiry commission’s interim report had vindicated its position, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said that the report was nothing, but a cover up the issue.
The BJP also alleged that former chief minister Ashok Chavan has eight benami flats in the society.
The interim report, which was tabled in the state legislature on April 17, has concluded that that the land on which the Adarsh society was built belonged to the state. The commission has also concluded that the society was not reserved for defence personnel or war heroes.
However, BJP general secretary Dr Kirit Somaiya claimed that the report tabled by the government was incomplete as it dealt with only two terms of references, while the commission is yet to complete inquiry into 15 terms of references.
“The main objection regarding the Adarsh society was that there was misuse of power by people holding highest positions in the state.
Former CM Chavan’s relatives and friends have eight flats in the society. Those are actually former CM’s benami flats,” Dr Somaiya said.
Regarding the commission’s conclusion that the society was not reserved for Kargil war heroes, Dr Somaiya said that this objection was never raised by anybody. “No complainant in the case has ever claimed that the society was reserved for war heroes. The objection was that the land, changes in Coastal Regulation Zone, reservation,extra FSI and other relaxations for the society were sought in the name of Kargil war heroes. Only three out of 103 members of the society were part of Operation Vijay in Kargil. But the commission report is silent on this,” he said.
The BJP has also cited many letters sent by the society since 1999, in which the society has claimed that its members are defence personnel including those who had participated in the Kargil war. It was on these grounds that the society, in a letter dated August 8, 1999, to then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, sought relaxation of CRZ provisions.
The society had sent another letter to the state government on August 3, 2000, seeking deletion of a proposed road in the military area. In this letter too, the society claimed that its members participated in Operation Vijay. “We are still to get allotment orders of the land in question…we wanted to inform our erstwhile members, who struggled in the Kargil Operation about the good gesture and assurance given by the government of Maharashtra to us. Hence, an expeditious action is prayed for,” the letter states.