Probe in Jalyukt Shivar Scheme based on CAG report, not politically motivated: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said the investigation in Jalyukt Shivar Scheme is not politically motivated, as it is based on Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) report.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said the investigation in Jalyukt Shivar Scheme is not politically motivated, as it is based on Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) report. "It is not done on purpose. The CAG report was presented in the two-day assembly session. It was discussed in the Cabinet and then the Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) gave the order. Even when Devendra Fadnavis' government was in power, Tanaji Sawant, who had the Water Conservation Department, had said in the Legislative Council that there was corruption in the matter," he said.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Thursday said a committee has been set up to investigate alleged irregularities in the Jalyukt Shivar Scheme, which was launched during former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' government in 2014. Addressing the current flood situation in various parts of the state, the Deputy Chief Minister said the state government will provide all possible assistance in the affected areas, and also requested the Central government for help.

"With routine norms in the area where rainfall above 65mm is recorded, compensations are being given. But in this case, these norms are not going to help the farmers. We need to go beyond and the Central government must help," he said. Pawar further informed that the state government has ordered the administration to register a case of culpable homicide in the Pandharpur wall collapse incident where six people died on October 14.

"In Pandharpur wall collapse incident we have ordered registration of a case for culpable homicide. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) should have taken care when an incident happened at the same place last year. Why was return wall not build? Why was it delayed?" he asked. Heavy rainfall has created a flood-like situation in parts of Maharashtra. As per the official data last updated on October 14, as many as 28 people have died and one is missing from the Pune division (Pune, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Kolhapur) of the state.

"As of October 14, a total of 28 people have died due to flood in Pune division while one is still missing. Of 28 people who died, three are from Pune, one is from Satara, nine are from Sangli, 14 are from Solapur. One person from Pune is still missing," the state data said. It added that so far 29,292 people were shifted to a safe place from Pune division including 17,000 from Solapur alone, followed by 3,000 from Pune, 1,079 from Sangli, and 213 from Satara.

"513 animals have also died. 57,354 hectares of crops have been damaged/affected in the Pune division. 2,319 houses have been damaged/collapsed," it added. 

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