Mumbai has the state’s most corrupt officials

ACB records show 16% of 1,010 graft cases in Maharashtra are from city

MUMBAI: The city’s government and public sector officials are more corrupt than those in the rest of Maharashtra, reveals the latest data compiled by the AntiCorruption Bureau (ACB).

Cases against officials in Mumbai make up 16% of the total cases registered in the state — 1,010 — between January 1 and October 31, 2013, as per the data submitted by the ACB to the chief minister’s office recently, and accessed by HT.

By the end of October, 164 cases had been re gistered against them, of which 99 are discreet inquiries, 21 open inquiries, 40 involved traps laid to catch them and four are instances of disproportionate assets.

Nashik follows closely with 155 cases.

While the ACB’s Mumbai region data does not have casespecific and department-specific information, state-wide statistics show the police and the revenue department vying for top spot in the corruption chart. While the police have 126 corruption cases against them (involving 197 employees), the revenue department is close behind at 125 cases (involving 161 staffers).

The ACB has seized disproportionate assets worth around Rs21 crore from 17 accused, and in this category, the public works department tops the list, with assets worth Rs17.8 crore being seized from eight of its officials.

While top-ranked (class one and class two officers) in the PWD and transport departments were found to have accumulated a lot of disproportionate assets, no officers in these ranks in the police, revenue, irrigation, civic corporations, forest, education, agriculture and zilla parishads have such cases registered against them.

Though far less compared to police and revenue officials, local self-government staffers - civic corporations, zilla parishads and panchayat samitis - too have a significant number of cases registered against them. Employees of the public health and state electricity company, Mahavitaran, too are not above corruption.
Courtesy:
3 Dec 2013,
Hindustan Times (Mumbai)
Dharmendra Jore dharmendra.jore@hindustantimes.com
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

Tulip Global Group MLM Scam

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Here is the story carried by MP's tabloyed Sanjha Lokswami from Indore City on 16th November 2012 about scam tainted company Tulip Global Group.

STONEWALLED: Govt ignored plea to save 1,000cr in dam project

Mumbai: A survey contractor, Yash Engineers, wrote to the state government three years ago, suggesting that Rs 1,000 crore could be saved if the alignment of the left bank canal of the Lower Penganga irrigation project in Yavatmal district was altered. The contractor never received a reply from the government.

On Friday, TOI reported how the project cost was increased from Rs 1,402 crore to an astronomical Rs 9,027 crore in August 2009 when a revised administrative approval was given.The approval came from the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) and the contracts were awarded to politically connected contractors. The project was put on hold in the wake of opposition outcry and remainsso.

The survey contractor followed up the initial submission with a detailed memorandum to the state water resources department in February 2010, where it spoke of faults in the project and suggested ways to save cost .

“We wish to bring to your notice the lacunae and engineering blunders committed by the sanctioning authorities... This has led to a technically imperfect and very costly water conveyance system.” The contractor alleged that during survey, the executive engineer and other departmental officers did not allow it the minimum adequate time for performing “accurate and good quality work”. These officers allegedly pushed the contractor to make haste citing the election code of conduct. Yash Engineers’ memorandum said its alternate plan would reduce the costby about Rs 1,000 crore.

“Even under adverse circumstances, we deputed to the work site our expert surveyors and design engineers and produced technically sound proposals. But they were not considered by the department and they approved their own technical proposals, which are mostimproper,” said the letter.

The surveyor further said the canal crosses thePenganga river at a location where very expensive aqueduct is needed. “The cost of the aqueduct can be reduced from Rs 350 crore to Rs 125 crore by shifting its location from point D to point C,” it said.

Meanwhile, NCP MLC Sandeep Bajoriya on Friday admitted he received Rs 16 crore as advance for the Jigaon, Buldhana and Pedh iirrigation projects in Amravati. He was referring to a TOI report of October 4, which said that dam contractors received Rs 612 crore mobilisation advances from VIDC, defying rules.

Bajoriya said, “This (advance) was against due bank guarantee and with 13% interest levied on it. There is no wrongdoing involved.” He said he had returned the Jigaon project advance last April. “The Pedhi mobilization amount of Rs 7.5 crore given to me is already almost nullified against work done by me.” 

COURTECY:
Nauzer K Bharucha TNN
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ACB seeks nod to probe irrigation minister in irrigation scam

Mumbai: The Anti-Corruption Bureau has sought the state government’s okay to launch an “open inquiry” against irrigation minister Sunil Tatkare over allegations of land grab and disproportionate assets.

A “discreet inquiry” against the senior NCP leader, sources said, is already complete. The ACB now wants authorization for the second stage of the investigation—“open inquiry” —so that it can call for official files and, if required, summon Tatkare for questioning.
“We have forwarded the request to the general administration department. It will follow the usual course (to the concerned department and chief secretary) before landing up at the CM’s table for the final nod,” said a home official.

With the latest appeal, the pending ACB requests for investigating sitting ministers has risen to three.

Discreet inquiry against Congress min nearly over Mumbai: As the Anti-Corruption Bureau sought the state’s nod to probe Sunil Tatkare, the total tally of pending ACB requests for investigating sitting ministers rose to three. The bureau sought a goahead to probe public works minister Chhagan Bhujbal three months ago and medical education minister Vijaykumar Gavit three years ago.

ACB sources said the agency is about to complete a discreet inquiry against a fourth minister: a Congress leader facing allegations for his role in the Coalgate scam. “A requestfor a fourthopen inquiry will be forwarded to the state soon,” said an ACB official.

A close aide of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Tatkare is accused of cornering 7,500 acres of farmland by creating front companies. He is accused of misusing his power and authority, as the statewater resources andirrigation minister, to grant arbitrary sanctions for irrigation projects. “I do not want to speak on the matter (either the inquiry or allegations) right now since it is in court,” Tatkare told TOI.

The request on Tatkare is bound to add to the worries of the government as it dithers on the previous two appeals. ACB sleuths said the prolonged official inaction shows lack of political will in the government. As it is, a sanction file needs to travel through a long, winding route—first through the home department to the general administration department to secretaries of the departments concerned to the chief secretary and finally to the chief minister. Worst of all, thereis noindependent mechanism to expedite or assist in the process.

“We expect the government’s nod to ideally come in less than two months, which is enough for the government to study a case properly. Beyond this, if the government takes time, it only shows a deliberate attempt to sit on the inquiry application,” said a senior ACB official.

The permission for a probe against Gavit, sources pointed out, is pending before the state since May 14, 2009. In the case of Bhujbal, the ACB filed the request letter on July 18, 2012, and it is said to have reached the chief minister’s table. “The departments (including the PWD, home and chief secretary) have given their view. It is now awaiting the CM’s green signal,” said an official.
UNDER THE SCANNER
Sunil Tatkare | The NCP leader faces allegations of land grab and disproportionate assets. The opposition says Tatkare and his family cornered 7,500 acres of farmland by creating front companies. The irrigation minister, he is also accused of granting arbitrary sanctions for irrigation projects

Vijaykumar Gavit | The state medical education minister is alleged to have amassed assets beyond his means of income. The properties were bought, it is claimed, in the name of his family members. The ACB sought permission for inquiry on May 14, 2009

Chhagan Bhujbal | The PWD minister is accused of receiving ‘favours’ when he gave out a contract for the construction of Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi. The ACB sought permission for an open inquiry on July 18, 2012

STEP BY STEP | Rules mandate that the ACB follow these steps while investigating a government official (class I) or minister

Discreet Inquiry | The ACB, upon receipt of a complaint or allegation, conducts a discreet inquiry. It verifies documents without informing the accused person or department. A decision is then taken on whether to further probe the case. All cases do not necessarily undergo a discreet inquiry

Open Inquiry | Once the discreet inquiry is over (or if it is eschewed), an open inquiry is set up. In this, files can be sought from a department and the accused persons asked to present their side. For officials, rules are clear. But for ministers, ambiguity persists on who takes a final call
Sanction For Prosecution | Once an open inquiry is okayed, the ACB can proceed with a full probe, registering an offence and filing of charges. But during this process, it needs a sanction for prosecution from the government

WINDING ROUTE | At present, the power to accord sanction for prosecution of a sitting minister lies only with the chief minister and the governor. A sanction file needs to travel first through the home department to the general administration department to secretaries of the departments concerned, to the chief secretary, and finally to the chief minister. There, however, exists no independent mechanism to assist the process.

Courtecy:
Sharad Vyas TNN http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2012/10/06&EntityId=Ar00106&AppName=1&ViewMode=HTML