Two-member panel to probe Adarsh scam: CM

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday announced a judicial probe into the Adarsh cooperative housing scandal, telling the state assembly that a retired Supreme Court or high court judge and a former chief secretary would comprise the two-member panel, which would carry out the investigation under the Commission of Inquiry Act 1952.

Chavan made the announcement after a marathon debate on the issue in the legislative assembly. He said the scope of the inquiry will be decided soon.

Predictably, the opposition parties described Chavan's announcement as unsatisfactory and rushed into the well of the house shouting slogans against the government, accusing the ruling Congress-NCP alliance of shielding the scam beneficiaries.

Chavan said 21 serving and former IAS officers allegedly involved in the scandal have been served notices. "We must find out if bureaucrats profited from the construction of the Adarsh apartments.

We will also find out if they declared their assets and sources of income that facilitated their purchase of flats. The bureaucrats are supposed to disclose assets under service rules.

The probe will find out if they violated the rule," he added.

The chief minister said that according to Mantralaya records, the land belonged to the government, though it was in possession of the defence ministry.