The lift irrigation project in Kunthephal, Beed district, was to get water from Ujni project.
Founder-member of the Aam Aadmi Party Anjali Damania on Friday slammed former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar for speeding up administrative clearance for an irrigation project at the behest of his cousin. Damania was addressing a press conference at the Press Club, where she made several allegations against Pawar.
"How can a contractor tell Ajit Pawar when the file should be moving? This is a clear case of him favouring his cousin by asking the department for administrative clearance so that the tendering process can be started," said Damania, showing a letter dated May 2009 in which Pawar has made notings, directing his department to put up a file of an irrigation project for administrative clearance.
The lift irrigation project in Kunthephal, Beed district, was to get water from Ujni project. "That place (Kunthephal) has no scope for irrigation. It was to get water from a place 295km away. The Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal said it can't give water from Ujni, but they still went ahead with it. It only shows that Pawar helped procure the contract for his cousin," alleged Damania.
She added that the project in actuality was not even one per cent over but papers procured under RTI said 41% had been completed. "In fact, Rs104 crore is already disbursed to Raj Promoters and Civil Engineers Pvt Ltd," she claimed.
"His cousin is also director in various firms started by Pawar and Raj Promoters has been given over Rs1,000 crore projects in irrigation, roads and windmills among others."
While seeking protection for Macchindra Thorve, the farmer who, she said, helped her uncover this scam, Damania said, "I ask the CM now to file an FIR in 24 hours. I have given all the papers to the ACB, the governor and also to the chief justice, requesting him to convert this into a PIL. Or I will file a writ petition as, without court directives, nothing seems to move."
When dna contacted Pawar, he did not answer calls or reply to SMSes. NCP MLA Jayant Patil, however, dismissed the allegations, calling them baseless.
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