The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) will register one more FIR this week against contractors and officials in connection with bungling in another major irrigation project in the alleged Rs 70,000-crore scam, the Maharashtra government has informed the Bombay high court. It also said that the entire investigation would be completed in six months.
Associate advocate general Rohit Deo also submitted progress made by the ACB in the irrigation scam probe before a division bench comprising Justices Bhushan Gavai and P.N. Deshmukh on Thursday.
In an affidavit filed on behalf of the state government, it was stated that investigations in respect of Gosikhurd Left Bank Canal, Right Bank Canal, Mokhabardi Tail Canal are in advanced stage.
The state also stated that 20 special teams have been constituted to investigate the complaints pertaining to 36 projects and role of contractors, officials and non-officials will be looked into, and the entire investigation will be completed within the next six months.
The ACB, on February 23, has already registered its first FIR against contractor Fazal Ahmed of FA Constructions and four of his family members, a retired chief engineer and also a retired superintendent engineer of Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) in respect of work on Ghodajhari (Chandrapur district) branch canal in the stretch between 42.60 km to 88 km. This canal is a part of the Gosikhurd national irrigation project.
The high court was hearing a PIL filed by Jan Manch on Thursday on the alleged tardy pace of progress by the ACB in the scam.
Contradicting the popular perception about very little progress in the irrigation scam, the state government stated that ACB was conducting a thorough probe and due to voluminous and technical nature of evidence, some more time is required but in any case the entire investigation will end in six months.
Special teams constituted by ACB will look into 36 works that involved costs of Rs 25 crore or more. In three more cases, inquiry is nearing completion, the court was told.
