PAC quizzes top defence officials on Adarsh housing scam

Sanjay Nirupam asked defence officials to present ownership documents of land on which the building had been constructed.

Top defence officials on Monday faced tough questions from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee when they appeared before it in connection with the CAG report on the Adarsh Housing society scam.

The PAC demanded answers from them on how the society was formed with defence officials as part of it and why no objection was raised by the ministry concerned or the Army top brass when the proposal was moved.

The defence officials were also asked as to why no alarm bells rang during construction of the 31-storey building,which was now being dubbed as a security threat.

Congress members including Sanjay Nirupam also questioned them on the ownership of the land on which the skyscraper had been built.

Nirupam asked the defence officials to present the ownership documents of the land on which the building had been constructed.

Defence Secretary S K Sharma,Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen A S Lamba,Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Adm R K Dhowan and several other senior officials appeared before the PAC.

The PAC asked the defence ministry to submit all affidavits it has filed before competent courts in connection with the Adarsh Society case.

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They have also been given a week’s time to produce the documents as also the title deeds of the controversial piece of land.

A top army officer told the PAC that if CBI is able to establish criminality in the case,action will be taken against the guilty under Army Act and related provisions.

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