Parliament panel adopts report on Adarsh Housing Society scam

Parliament's Public Accounts Committee today adopted its report on Adarsh Housing Society in which it has slammed the Defence ministry and Maharashtra government for "monumental failure" at all levels of governance leading to a scam in it. The PAC in its draft report on the Adarsh scam has said a group of select officials holding key posts subverted rules and regulations as also facts and took the ruse of welfare of servicemen, war widows and children.

Along with its report on Adarsh scam, it adopted two other reports on Defence Estates and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), sources said. In its report on the Adarsh scam, the PAC said its scrutiny has "corroborated the irregularities in the entire process right from allocation of land to the society to obtaining 'no objection certificate' (NoC) from the Army, extension of various concessions by the Government of Maharashtra, getting NoC from BEST for transfer of developmental rights of adjoining land, and obtaining clearances for residential development in Coastal Regulation Zone by certain officials who abused their official position for personal gain."

The report says when the Defence Ministry was asked how NoC was given to the society, it was informed that it was issued by the defence authorities "because of mismanagement of defence land, poor record keeping and lack of mutation of land already in possession of the Armed Forces." Regarding security concerns, the PAC found these were ignored while constructing the 31-storey building in Colaba area.

While asking the government to ensure that such incidents are not repeated, the PAC refrained from making "further comments as the matter is still subjudice" with respect to the title of the land and other concerned issues.