Whistleblower Vijay Pandhare retires; set to join politics

Maharashtra Water Resources Department Chief Engineer, Vijay Pandhare, the whistleblower of the alleged multi-crore irrigation scam in the state, today retired from government service and expressed desire to join politics.

Pandhare, who was given a farewell at the department here, later told a news channel that he would join politics. He alleged that in the last thirty years, he had seen both Congress as well as BJP indulging in corrupt practices.

Though Pandhare did not divulge which party he plans to join, sources said he is likely to join Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Pandhare's allegations of corruption in the state's irrigation projects had rocked the Maharashtra government and culminated in the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar last year.

53-year-old Pawar had resigned amid allegations of involvement in a Rs 20,000 crore scam when he held the irrigation portfolio between 1999 and 2009.

Talking about the Madhavrao Chitale Committee, which had been appointed by the state government to probe the irrigation scam, Pandhare said, "I think that the committee could not expose the sutradhar (kingpin)." Pandhare had joined the state government service in 1980 as a junior engineer. He later gave the Maharashtra Public Service Examination to join the irrigation department as executive engineer. He came to Nashik as Maharashtra Engineering and Training Academy (META) chief engineer in 2011.