ACB retraces Bhujbal’s Chamankar ‘connection’

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Bhujbal, along with 16 others, was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code on Thursday in connection with alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for construction of the new Maharashtra Sadan building in New Delhi, a Road Transport Office in Kalina and a state guest house in Malabar Hill.

The ACB’s FIR states that in 1998, K S Chamankar had moved a proposal for redevelopment of two slum societies, Annanagar and Kasamnagar, encroaching on the plot of RTO land in Kalina. Chamankar had sought a No Objection Certificate in April 2000 from the principal secretary, transport for the proposal, which was forwarded to the Andheri RTO.

The RTO sent a letter to the transport commissioner recommending rejection of the NOC application. The letter mentioned that Rs 4.43 crore had already been sanctioned by the government for its building and the orders to begin construction were also received.

The deputy commissioner, transport, wrote to the home department on February 2, 2001, recommending rejection of Chamankar’s proposal, on the basis it would pose obstacles in construction of the RTO building.

The decision was communicated to the principal secretary, transport on March 14, 2001, and according to official records, the matter ended at this point. However, on May 16, 2001, Bhujbal, called a meeting of several high-ranking state government officials. The subject, according to official records accessed by ACB officials, was, “Rehabilitation of slums on RTO land in Andheri under the Slum Rehabilitation schemes.”

During the meeting on May 17, it was decided that Chamankar’s slum redevelopment proposal will be placed before the principal secretary, transport. The ACB FIR states, “It was only due to this meeting that Chamankar’s rejected proposal was revived.”

At subsequent meetings between various government officials, it was also decided to let Chamankar construct the new RTO building, and this ultimately led to Chamankar being awarded the contract for the RTO building, the Maharashtra Sadan and the state guest house in Malabar Hill area, according to officials.

Complaint seeks probe into Bhujbal’s qualification

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal has been accused of misleading people about his educational qualification in his election affidavit, and on the website of the Mumbai Educational Trust (MET) he runs. A social activist Sanjeev Khandekar on Friday lodged a police complaint in Chembur police station seeking an investigation.

Bhujbal said the charges as baseless. Khandekar said, “Bhujbal has stated he completed LME Part 1. At another point his educational qualification reads diploma in electrical engineering. Now what is this degree of LME?”

Bhujbal said, “I have done License for Mechanical Engineering Part 1. However, I could not complete part 2.” There is no discrepancy in my educational qualification. “It is mischief to malign my image,” he said.

Senior inspector Chembur police station Dynanesh Devade said, “We received a complaint. But since MET is located in Bandra (West), we forwarded the complaint to Bandra police station.”