Chavan gave in as Cong,NCP backed ministers named in Adarsh report

With both Congress and NCP holding a closed-door meetings of their ministers just before the Cabinet meet on Thursday and deciding to back their colleagues indicted in the Adarsh probe panels report,Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had little choice but to absolve the politicians of any wrongdoing in connection with the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society CHS.

During their meeting,all NCP ministers rallied behind Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare and Higher Education Minister Rajesh Tope,who have been named in the report by the two-member judicial commission that probed alleged irregularities in the housing society. We have not handled any file nor given any observations. Just convening a meeting cannot be a crime, Tatkare and Tope reportedly said at the meeting.

Congress ministers too showed an equal zeal during their meeting in defending their colleagues named in the report. I asked what was there to discuss. The Adarsh commission has not held any of our former CMs on a criminal charge. It has merely accused them of political patronage. Now,what amounts to political patronage, a Cabinet minister told The Indian Express.

The ministers said that former CM late Vilasrao Deshmukh had clarified that he used his discretionary powers,which could not be challenged. They said charges against former CM Sushil Kumar Shinde could not be justified and that the CBI had submitted its report to the Centre when he was made the Home Minister.

Adarsh report on role of politicians

Ashok Chavan: Ex-CM gave requisite permissions/clearances for housing society,in which his relatives were later allotted flats.

Vilasrao Deshmukh: Ex-CM issued letter of intent of Adarsh CHS plot and granted additional FSI

Sushil kumar Shinde:

Ex-CM did not pay attention to the suggestion made by finance dept

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Shivajirao N Patil: Ex-CM showed haste in approving land for Adarsh CHS without authority

Sunil Tatkare amp; Rajesh Tope: Tried to meddle with the issue of Adarsh CHS,which was not under their purview.