Maharashtra dam scam: 5 retired state govt officials among 7 booked

Thane: The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Saturday filed a case against seven persons, including five retired Maharashtra government officials, in connection with alleged irregularities in Kondane irrigation dam project at Karjat in Raigad district.

Besides the five officials of irrigation department, the others named as accused in the case, filed at Kopri police station in Thane, are a suspended officer and the owner of a construction firm, the Thane unit of ACB said in a release. The case has been filed after an inquiry ordered by the state government.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (ACB-Raigad) Vivek Joshi said all the accused have been booked under IPC sections related to cheating and criminal conspiracy, among others, and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The accused are D P Shirke, B B Patil, R D Shinde, P B Sonawane, A P Kaluke - retired officials of the Irrigation Department - R C Rithe, an Executive engineer of the department currently under suspension and Nissar Fateh Mohammad Khatri, a partner at FA Enterprises, a construction company, he said.

The ACB release said the government had ordered an inquiry into the alleged irregularities in construction of the dam on Ulhas river at Karjat in the adjoining district. The probe was carried out by a SIT formed by the ACB.

During probe, it was revealed that administrative approval for the project was granted on May 19, 2011, but it was later put on hold by the government.

Despite the plan being put on hold, Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation (KIDC) called for tenders in the same year. FA Enterprises was not eligible to get the contract, but the Government officials favoured the firm and tasked it with constructing the dam, the release said.

The accused officials, without obtaining permission from the Government, allegedly inflated the project cost to Rs 271 crore, it claimed.

The officials connected with the project deliberately favoured the contractor and caused losses to KIDC and the government.

This is the third case filed in connection with alleged irregularities in construction of dams in Konkan region. The earlier ones related to Balganga (August, 2015) and Kalu dams (June, 2016).