‘Can’t blame ministers for poor work’

Defending his nephew and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar,accused of corruption in irrigation projects in Maharashtra,Union minister Sharad Pawar Saturday said ministers can’t be held responsible for substandard work.

“We can’t rule out the possibility of substandard work in some projects. But who is responsible for looking after quality of these works? It’s not the job of a chief minister or a minister. There are thousands of projects sanctioned by me that are under progress. Is it possible for me to go and check quality of every project? If there is substandard work then the concerned officials should conduct a probe and penalise the erring contractor or engineer,” he said.