CM quota flat allotment probe panel starts functioning

The Bombay high court was on Tuesday informed that the one-member fact finding committee, appointed by the court to probe double allotment of flats under the chief minister's discretionary quota since 1982, has started functioning since Monday from Pune.

A division bench of justice Abhay Oka and Justice AS Gadkari directed the additional collector of Pune to extend all the assistance to the committee. It comprises 19 people, including two IAS ranking officers.

Recently, the high court had appointed a special fact-finding committee headed by a retired judge to verify the genuineness of allotment.

The retired judge, JA Patil, will examine the quota system for the entire period since 1982. Patil had headed the commission that probed the Adarsh housing society scam.

The Commitee was appointed during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by activist Ketan Tirodkar, challenging the multiple allotments to various individuals.

The state government had informed the court that it has filed first information reports against 27 persons who secured double allotment of houses under the quota.

On March 20, 2014, the court struck down the state's policy for allotment of houses to individuals under the chief minister's quota. It stated that the policy was "illegal, irrational and unfair" and asked the state to frame a new policy that should be transparent and fair.

The committee will submit its report and recommendations for action against the offenders by April 30, 2015.