Aam Aadmi Launches a State-wide Janadhesh on the Irrigation Scam
How many inquiries does it take for the Maharashtra Government to realize that yes, there was an irrigation scam??? The Chitale Committee report, coming after several previous inquiries, once again fails to nail the culprits who have siphoned of thousands of crores of public money and damaged our resources irreparably.
Stuck in coalition politics or “4 kaam arrangments” the political parties have made a mockery of the condition of the farmers of Maharashtra and where the government with all its machinery failed we think the common people can certainly do better, the Aam Aadmi of Maharashtra is not as weak as the government and can give a fitting verdict to those who have bled this state dry. The Aam Aadmi Party is launching a state wide Janadhesh through a referendum – we will ask the citizens of the state to decide whether Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare are responsible for the scam. We will go to the people with four simple questions:
1. Did an Irrigation Scam take place in the Maharashtra. Yes/No
2. Is it not true the Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare are the ones directly responsible for the scam and not just the irrigation officers. Yes/No
3. Should Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare go to jail for looting Maharashtra? Yes/No
4. Will you vote for NCP in the coming election? Yes/No
We are certain that that the citizens of Maharashtra will be able to give a clear verdict on this inquiry. We will start the referendum on 18th June and complete it by 30th June.
Aam Aadmi Party (erstwhile IAC) exposed the scam, exposed the minute details of the corruption - the glaring lacunae in the tendering process, the obvious favouring of preferred contractors, the sheer neglect of environmental clearances, the ruthless treatment of project affected persons, the planned escalations, the mobilization advances – each aspect has been exposed by us in multiple projects. We have proven, through documentary evidence the Irrigation Ministers were directly involved in the scams.
We have also proven beyond doubt that the BJP has been complicit in the scam and while they are making a few noises right now, they will never demand punishment – BJP MP Sancheti is one of the largest contractors (though his company SMS Infrastructure) but BJP failed to make this submission before the Chitale Committee.
We have seen the government order inquiries only to waste time, the several inquiries on irrigation include:
· Mendigiri Committee February 2010
· Vadnere Committee March 2012
· CAG – Special Perofrmance review of VIDC 2012
· MERI Test Report
· Departmental Probe (Against 45 officials indicted in Vadnere Committee) October 2012
· White Paper May 2012
· Chitale Committee January 2013
When governments fail then the citizens have no choice but to shake them, and Aam Aadmi Party will do this with an unequivocal people’s verdict against those who are responsible for farmer suicides, those who looted the future of our children.
Sincerely
Preeti Sharma Menon
On Behalf of the Maharashtra State Executive