Vilasrao Deshmukh to appear before Adarsh commission

Former Maharashtra chief minister and union science and technology minister Vilasrao Deshmukh will appear before the two-member judicial commission probing the Adarsh housing society scam on Tuesday.

Deshmukh will be questioned by the commission just a day after his predecessor – and now union minister for power – Sushil Kumar Shinde appeared before it and tried to pass the buck on to him.

Shinde told the commission that the decision to allot the government land to the controversial housing society and also grant additional FSI was taken after Deshmukh had taken over as chief minister.

''The decision to allot the land in question to Adarsh society was taken prior to my taking over as chief minister,'' Shinde told the commission on Monday. ''The Letter of Intent was issued in favour of Adarsh on the morning of January 18, 2003 when Vilasrao Deshmukh was the chief minister. It was not issued under my instructions and it was never brought to my notice.''  (See: Ex CM Shinde passes Adarsh buck to Deshmukh)

Deshmukh was chief minister of Maharashtra twice – between October 1999 and January 2003 and between November 2004 and December 2008. Shinde served as chief minister between January 2003 and October 2004.

According to Shinde's deposition, Deshmukh granted the government land for development of the 31-storeyed Adarsh building in Cuffe Parade during his first term, and followed it up by granting additional FSI during his second tenure.