Author: Vivek Deshpande
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: July 6, 2007
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/printerFriendly/203981.html
On April 26, 2007, just over six weeks before
the UPA-Left announced Pratibha Patil's name for President, the Congress-led
Maharashtra government leased out 25,000 square feet of prime land in Amravati
to her husband's education society. And agreed to build a sports complex on
it using Rs 36 lakh from Patil's MP Local Area Development Fund Scheme (MPLADS)
she got way back in 1996 when she was a Lok Sabha MP.
Rule 3.21 of the new rules of MPLADS clearly
says that funding "is not permissible to a Society/Trust if the recommending
MP or any of his/her family members is President/Chairman or Managing Committee
or Trustee of the Society/Trust in question. Family members would include
MP and MP's spouse...children."
This has been cleverly circumvented.
So, it's the government that will build the
complex and own it as well but on land leased out to Vidyabharati Shikshan
Sanstha founded by Patil's husband Devisingh Shekhawat.
A visit to the site shows that this land is
right next to Vidyabharati College, which this society runs. Patil's son Raosaheb
Shekhawat is the chairman of the society and Devisingh Shekhawat is now its
Treasurer.
According to the administrative approval granted
by Collector Ravindra Jadhav on May 4, 2007, a maintenance committee set up
by Shekhawat's college will look after the complex. The Collector will be
its chairman and District Sports Officer will be its member.
Official records and court papers, accessed
by The Indian Express, show how the MPLADS funds finally reached the college's
doorstep:
o 1992: The 25,000-square feet of land next
to Shekhawat's college is reserved for "educational use." Shekhawat
is then the Mayor of the Amravati Municipal Corporation.
o November 8, 1996: Patil allocates Rs 36
lakh from her MPLADS scheme and writes to the Collector, Amravati, asking
for a sports complex on this land.
o January 18, 1996: Collector grants administrative
approval.
o July 1, 1997: In 1996, new MP is Sena's
Ananth Gudhe. Patil writes to Lok Sabha Speaker seeking directions against
delay in project implementation "due to political reason."
o 1998: Pratibha Patil and Abhiruchi Kala
and Krida Mandal, a social organisation floated by Shekhawat's trusted aide
and a physical training teacher in his college M T Deshmukh, move the Nagpur
bench of the Bombay High Court seeking directions that funds earmarked for
the project shouldn't be diverted and the project should come up on the chosen
piece of land (adjacent to the college).
o August 25, 1999: High Court grants relief
on the above counts - in other words, says the project site shouldn't be changed
and project funds should not be diverted.
o April 26, 2007: State govt allows leasing
of land to Shekhawat's Vidyabharati Shikshan Sanstha.
o May 4, 2007: Collector Jadhav issues administrative
approval for the sports complex.
When contacted, Jadhav told The Indian Express
that there was nothing wrong as "funds are not being given to Shekhawat's
institute and the government will be building and later owning the project."
Asked why then was the land leased out to
the society, Jadhav, now posted in Nagpur, said, "Because it was reserved
for the institute in the city's development plan."
Jadhav's approval letter mentions that the
approval for the project was pending in the High Court since land wasn't available
for the project.
"Now it has been leased out to the institute
by the government. And the go-ahead for the project doesn't violate the HC
interim order in that the site is unaltered and funds haven't been diverted,"
said Jadhav.
His order further mentions that the approval
is subject to final disposal of Abhiruchi's writ by the High Court. Asked
what if the court expresses reservations on the government's move to lease
the land to Shekhawat's institute, Jadhav said: "The government has the
liberty to withdraw the lease. But, ideally, if the petitioner's grievance
is resolved, it withdraws the petition in which case the court may not say
anything further."
Jadhav said the project will not be used exclusively
by Shekhawat's college. "Since it is a government-owned project, it will
be open for use by all citizens of Amravati."
Patil's son Raosaheb Shekhawat declined to
comment. "You may contact Jayanthi Natarajan in AICC for the comment,"
he said. Natarajan, however, wasn't available despite repeated attempts.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Parliamentary
Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi denied any wrongdoing on Patil's part
saying that "funds utilised under MPLADS are audited and submitted to
the Comptroller & Auditor General of India".
Besides, the District Collector ensures that
the guidelines under MPLADS are honoured. "If somebody crosses the guidelines,
the Collector can report it to authorities," said Dasmunshi, adding that
guidelines for MPLADS have been changing as well.
Audited by CAG, says Dasmunsi, Collector can
report irregularity
o Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan
Dasmunsi denied any wrongdoing on Patil's part saying "funds utilised
under MPLADS are audited and submitted to the Comptroller & Auditor General
of India."
o "If somebody crosses the guidelines,
the District Collector can report it to authorities," said Dasmunsi.