Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Tuesday began his deposition before the two- member judicial commission appointed to study various alleged irregularities in the Adarsh Housing Society. The Union Minister largely blamed bureaucrats in various departments of the state government for not bringing to his notice various contentious issues with respect to the society. Deshmukh is being interrogated for his possible role in various clearances granted during his time. He is also said to have a role in reducing the width of the Prakash Pethe Marg in Colaba,which is adjoining the building. It was never brought to my notice that the land in question was in the possession of the local military authority, he said,adding that he was also not told that a garden named Kukree Park existed on the land in question. Deshmukh also claimed that he was not informed that the land in question was an independent plot,which came within the road widening area of the Capt Prakash Pethe Marg. The former chief minister was also questioned by the senior counsel for the commission,Dipan Merchant,with respect to a letter sent by one of the societys chief promoters Kanhaiyalal Gidwani. Merchant questioned him as to why he made a remark in the margin of the letter asking the urban development department to expedite the matter. To this,Deshmukh said,I wrote these words on the letter as Shri Gidwani had told me that the file was pending for a long time. He had access to me as he was a Member of Legislative Council (MLC). On Monday,another former chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde had attempted to shift the blame on Deshmukh,by saying that the decision to allot the land in favour of the society had been taken before he assumed the chief ministership. Deshmukh,who served a term as chief minister from October 1999 to January 2003,was Shindes predecessor. However,he has not yet been questioned on this issue during his deposition. Deshmukh also pushed the blame for the allotment of land to the society on the then collector,saying that he did not check the situation and status of the land as it was the duty of the collector to verify it. The Union Ministers deposition will continue on Wednesday.
