India, Maharashtra, vijay kumbhar, News, Governance, RTI, Transparency, Civic Issues, Real Estate: BJP
Showing posts with label BJP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BJP. Show all posts

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Reshma Bhosale’s Candidature is Abuse of Election Procedure

It seems that  corporator Reshma bhosale’s candidature for elections is always dangerous for officers . Last time after winning municipal  election she had to face property tax receipt forgery case. FIR was lodged against her along with her husband MLA Anil Bhosale and  some officers of pune municipal corporation. This time even after high court decision in her candidature case dust doesn’t seem to be settled down. Facts placed before high court in this case raise more doubts and may be troublesome for some officers.




In this case counsel appearing for the Election Commission submitted that as the Returning Officer was not decisive as to whether she should accept the nomination paper of Reshma Bhosale  as independent or as a candidate belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP),she sought guidance from the Election Commission through the Commissioner of Corporation. However actually on Saturday i.e. on 4th February itself the returning officer of Panel No. 7 had rejected Reshma Bhosale's nomination as a candidate of the ( BJP). The reason cited was that Bhosale submitted her nomination as a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate, but submitted A and B forms of BJP.

It was also submitted in High court that  returning officer in her communication to chief election officer had  clearly mentioned and indicated that she had accepted the nomination paper of both the candidates,  Satish Bahirat and Reshma Bhosale as valid as independent candidates.

In this case HC observed that once returning officer had taken decision to accept nomination paper there was no occasion for the Returning Officer to pass a separate order accepting the same nomination paper twice.

The big question is, once decision was taken why would returning officer  seek further guidance from higher authorities. If she wanted any guidance she would have asked it before rejecting Reshma Bhosale’s claim for candidature of BJP on 4th February itself. On that day she had  heard rival arguments and had rejected Reshma Bhosale’s claim then how come they say that returning officer was not decisive?

Now there are two possibilities that chief election office kunal kumar sought guidance from state election commission .First possibility is that returning officer Vijaya pangarkar even after decision was taken asked for the further guidance from state election commission through kunal kumar and  then changed her decision of declaring Reshma Bhosale as independent candidate. And second possibility is Pune municipal commissioner kunal kumar on his own sought guidance from state election commission and then asked returning officer vijay pangarakar to change her decision.


In both the cases favouritism  and abuse of election process is there.Kunal Kumar while speaking to media had described this case as unique case. However there was nothing unique in that . In every elections hundreds of candidates file their nominations  expecting nomination from parties. But when they don’t get AB form their candidature is declared as independent. Reshma bhosale’s case was the same. The only unique thing in it  was she had BJP’s AB form in hand. That AB form compelled  all officers  to abuse the process of election.

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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Full text of Former Inspector General S. M. Mushrif's report on Maharashtra Irrigation scam

Former Inspector general of police and then  deputy commissioner S.M.Mushrif had submitted a detailed report on corruption in irrigation department of Maharashtra. He had also requested his department to ask the government to give permission for an open enquiry into the affairs of MKVDC so that many more irregularities can be exposed and offences can be  registered against defaulting officers and office bearers of Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC).However, matter was discussed in assembly it was revealed that his report had  gone missing and then Anti-Corruption Bureau ( ACB) once again procured it from Mr.Mushrif. However, till today no action has been taken on his report.

Photo courtsey cartoonistsatish.blogspot.com

Irrigation scam started in Shive Sena BJP alliance government ( 1995 -1999) . And continued in all successive governments. The report given by Mr. Mushrif throws light on modus operandi of irrigation scammers. He has clearly mentioned names of business tycoon Avinash Bhosale and p. venku reddy. Here is full text of Mr.mushrif's report

1)Pre-qualification of contractors. 

This was just a ploy to reject the unwanted contractors. In fact, at the time of registration of contractors, their financial capability, technical manpower, machinery available (owned & hired), works of various types executed by them etc. are verified and on being fully satisfied on these counts, the contractors are registered. 

Then there is another stage, viz. enrolment of contractors, wherein based on their previous experience and categories of works executed by them, their select list is prepared for different types and scales of works. 

In view of the above two tests, there was no need to have another screening. But in MKVDC the third test i.e. pre-qualification of contractors was introduced. The contractors were not given blank tender forms unless they satisfy this condition. The lists of the prequalified contractors for a particular work were never published or displayed and rejected were informed about the reasons for rejection only after the last date of filing of the tender was over. Thus, this power was grossly misused by the senior officers of MVDVC. The favored ones were qualified even on the basis of forged document -s, and those having good reputation but not in the good books of the authorities or having no political connections were disqualified on flimsy grounds e.g. 

a) Bhom Balakwadi Project (Satara Dist.)  (estimated cost 100 crores).

One R.M.Mohite was a renowned contractor, but he was disqualified only to favour Pradhana constructions of P.Venku  Reddy of which Avinash Bhosale was also a partner But Shri Mohite filed a complaint and in verification,  the pradhana Constructions was found to have used other firm's documents as its own. It was such a serious mischief that the company should have been blacklisted but it was only disqualified for that work

b)Dhamani (Kolhapur district) (Estimated cost Rs 50 crores).

Here again, R.M.Mohite was disqualified to favor Uppar Constructions. Shri P.M.Mohite went to court and the court passed strictures against the method of prequalification. But Shri Mohite was politically pressurized to withdraw his claim to work

c)Temghar Project ( Pune District )  (Estimated cost 160 crores).

One Srinivas Company furnished forged documents for pre-qualification. They were challenged by another firm namely Progressive Company. But as Srinivas Company was a favorite of senior officers, it was not blacklisted or disqualified; but a compromise was brought about and the work was divided between the two. 

             (In this case the tender of the third company viz. National Project Constructors was not opened at all). 

d)Many contractors furnished false work-done certificates from Co-op. Sugar factories and got them prequalified But no verification was done by the MKVDC. Even the form No. 16 of income tax which mentions the tax deducted at source from the  bills and which was the sure evidence of actual work done was not insisted upon in case of favorite contractors, knowing fully well that the certificates were false or forged. 

e) One Shaktikumar Sancheti & Co. was disqualified for Jambhore project (Kolhapur), the estimated cost of which was Rs.40 crores. But as he had some political connection, he pressurized the authorities and a tender in the joint name of P.Venku Reddy and S.K.Sancheti Co. was accepted through the joint company was not prequalified. 

f)Kudal Dam project   ( 80 crores).

This work Was allotted to Pradhana Construction Co. of  Venku Reddy of which Avinash Bhosale is also a partner by  arbitrarily disqualifying other players. 

2)Manipulating publishing of tender notices,

In the first year of the MKVDC, the tender notices of the big and important works were being given in the important newspapers as required by Govt. directions. But the publishing of the notices were manipulated in a such a way that they got printed only in 10 to 15 issues of that news—paper and thus was known only to a few selected contractors who were sure to get some important work or the other in turn. As a result, other contractors remained in dark and there was no real competition and such tender of much high costs was accepted. But in a few months this secret leaked out and there were protests from other contractors. Therefore , this practice was discontinued and other methods were adopted to favor the coterie of contractors

3)Manipulation of work-completion period.

The contractor who completes the work within 70% of the period specified in the tender notice, gets 5% bonus of the tender cost. Therefore, in order to favor the contractors, much longer period than was actually required for a particular work was mentioned in the tender notice. As a result, many contractors could complete the work within 70% of the period and got the benefit of 5% bonus, which in some cases went in crores. This was naturally at the cost of the Corporation. It goes without saying that the Corporation's senior officers had fingers in this pie. 

4)Manipulation of estimates to much higher side.

Another method  to ensure the maximum  profit to favorite contractors was to raise the estimated cost of a  project very high (at times more than double) and manipulate the publishing of the tender notices in such a way that they reach only a selected few, out of which one was to be given  the work. 

The Bhama Askhed (Dist.pune)Project work, (estimated cost 38 crores) was to be allotted to P.Venku Reddy and everything was settled. But some other contractors which were not in the inner circle got this information and they  unexpectedly submitted tenders at very competitive rates. There was a tough competition and the tender of one D.G.Patil   & Co. which was 54% below the estimated cost was accepted. But even this reduced cost is said to be much higher compared  to the usual cost. 

5)Favoring some select group of contractors. 

a)Ujani canal work 83/84  km. of Solapur District (estimated cost Rs.3 crores) was given to P.Venku Reddy company without issuing any tender  notice. 

b)Km.92 Kudals canal (Satara T)ist.) (3 to 4 crores) was given to  Balaji Agency of one Sampat without issuing a tender notice. This work has not yet been regularized. 

c)The contract of Takari Pump (Sangli Dist.)Housework was allotted to Mule Brothers & Co. after accepting their tender. But the company wanted higher rates and wanted to back out. In such a case very heavy penalty is imposed on  the company concerned. But in this case contrary to the rules and the usual practice, Mule Brother's tender was withdrawn  without imposing any liability on the company. A fresh tender  notice was issued  and the tender of one progressive construction company which was acting as a proxy of Mule Brothers was accepted at much higher rate (about 3 to 4 crores). In reality, the work is being executed by Mule Brothers themselves. 

d)Tembhu Pipeline (250 to 300 crores).

Tenders were opened in line; but were taken to Mumbai under the pretext that the Secretary, Irrigation was holding the charge of the  Executive Director and without any deliberation, the decision was taken hurriedly  in a day, Avinash Bhosle acted as a go - between the Contractors on the one hand and the Corporation and the Govt. on the other. 

e)Nira - Deoghar (150 Crores).

The contract was given to a joint venture company  of which Avinash Bhosale wns a partner by disqualifying the other contractors and manipulating the tender notice only in  few issues of news-paper. 

f)Sina -Koregaon Tunnel (Solapur Dist.)

This work was also allotted to Avinash Bhosale but in somebody else's name. This can be established only by carefully  scrutinizing Avinash Bhosale's and his Company's  Income-tax records.

6)Huge Advances without observing any norms.  

Giving reasonable advances to contractors is a usual practice in some big and important projects. But in MKVDC, all norms and rules were thrown to the wind and advances were given very liberally at the interest of 22%. The contract of Wang Project (Satara Dist.) of which the estimated cost was Rs.80 crores was given to a person who was  politically very influential via Ms avalsekar of unity asian construction co. But even before a work order was issued, he was given a huge advance of Rs.13 crores. The contractor did not start the work for a year (From March97 to March 96)). nor did he return the amount. But on the other hand, he is requesting for the waiver of interest (to the tune of 3 crores) and it is learnt that the Corporation is also seriously considering his request. 

The main beneficiaries of the MKVDC are undoubtedly Shri P.Venku Reddy and Avinash Bhosale. They have virtually reaped the windfall with blessings of some big wigs in the corporation and the government. It is said that both have declared huge amount under the VDIS, but the major portion of the windfall is learnt to have been siphoned off to foreign countries by " Hawala" and other modes and both of them have acquired N.R.I status.P venku Reddy has already settled in London. He is learnt to have a luxurious flat in South London. and is planning to start a chemical factory in London. Shri Avinash Bhosale is trying to base in Dubai. He has been  frequenting Dubai under the garb of export of  readymade garments, but his long-term plan is to make a permanent base there. 

7)0ther irregularities

a)Market Missionaries Pvt.ltd.

This advertising company was engaged for the advertisement of the first two issues launched by the MKVDC, But the company was given an excess payment of 40 lakhs and nothing Was done to recover the same as the persons concerned are politically well connected. 

b)Purchase of Computers.  

The Corporation purchased computers worth Rs.2 crores. But in order to weed out other standard companies, an unreasonable condition of Works Contract Act Registration was put up and the computers were purchased from a non-descript company viz. Mechatronics , in spite of the fact that the N.I.C. had cautioned that the computers do not satisfy the specifications. 

Next year the prices of computers were reduced by 15% following the reduction in taxes, but again  the equal number of computers were purchased from the same company only, at 5% less price whereas about the same time Koyana Project had purchased computers at 15% less price

c)Purchase of Sumo vehicles.

Shri Ashok Patil, the then Chief Engineer, MKVDC purchased 50 Sumo vehicles for the Corporation in April 1996. Though the rate contract was fixed for these vehicles, Shri Patil purchased the vehicles from another trader at a price  higher than the rate-contract, thus incurring a loss- of several lakhs to the Corporation. 

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Saturday, August 20, 2016

Former Union Minister for textile k. Sambasiva Rao booked along with 33 others in Temghar dam leakage case

It is now crystal clear that members of  all the major political parties are involved Temghar dam leakage case . Though former union minister of textiles  Kavuri Sambasiva Rao and 33 others have been booked,  It is alleged that  the company Soma Enterprises Limited that proudly received an award for excellence in Temghar masonry Dam award at the hands of Nationalist Congress Party Leader(NCP) and then irrigation minister Ajit Pawar has been being spared intentionally. Contractor, hotelier, and power-broker Avinash Bhosale, who has many political contacts is believed to be closely associated with Soma enterprises



Soma proudly announces that it has completed Temghar dam project but its name doesn't appear in FIR or any other report .Interestingly Ishwar chaudhari  Superintending Engineer of the Water Resources Department who hadn't mentioned names of soma enterprises and progressive construction in his technical paper submitted to the first dam safety conference held in Chennai in 2015 have been promoted to chief engineer immediately after FIR has been filed. Chaudhari had named only Srinivas constructions in his paper .And where about of Srinivas constructions are untraceable.

In Temghar Dam leakage case in Maharashtra, the Pune rural police have lodged a first information report against 25 government officials and nine people from two private firms (Progressive Constructions Ltd  and Srinivas Constructions)   for allegedly using substandard material and misappropriation of funds meant for construction work  at the Temghar Dam in Mulshi taluka of Pune district.The  case has been registered  under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 467 (forgery),468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (using forged document as genuine), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Kavuri Sambasiva Rao was a contractor and owns Progressive Constructions, which has executed several mega infrastructure projects. The company has bagged multi-million rupees contracts from the governments. Rao was long time Indian National Congress ( INC)  associate and had joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014. The World Bank has banned progressive Constructions for a period of 11 years( I.e up to 2024)  for fraudulent practices in execution of three road contracts of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), such sanctions when imposed do not allow the company and any legal entity involved with it to work on any of the contracts where World Bank is engaged .

All other agencies were supposed to take serious note of this development while awarding any contracts. However in India when a company is associated with the member of political party nothing matters. As well employees from around 10 banks had staged a protest in front of Progressive Constructions Limited (PCL) owned by Kavuri Sambasiva Rao alleging that the company has not repaid loans amounting to hundreds of crores.

Soma enterprises Ltd is another company involved in the Temghar Dam Leakage case.Office bearers of it being closely related to NCP and INC,it is obvious that its name doesn't figure in FIR because it . Soma belongs to Contractor, hotelier, and power-broker Avinash Bhosale. SOMA has completed Nira Deoghar Earth Dam, Prakash Barrage Project, Purna Project, Takari Pump House, Tarali Dam, Bhosa - Khind Tunnel and Approach Canal and Temghar Dam projects.And its ongoing projects Babhali Barrage , Dhapewada Barrage , Digras Barrage , R.C.C Dam across Vaitarna River and IV Mumbai Water Supply Project ( Mumbai Municipal corporation project where Shiv Sena BJP Rules).

Interestingly then BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had  released portions of chitale committee appointed to investigate the irregularities in the state's irrigation projects. He had  put the onus on deputy CM Ajit Pawar and members of the governing council of the irrigation corporation for the irregularities in the state's irrigation projects. However now the way things are taking place it is hardly that anybody really involved in the irrigation scam or temghar leakage case will be brought to the justice.

The case has been registered against

Srinivas construction pvt ltd

1) V. D. Naidu
2) shree. D . nivas
3) smt D.laxmi kantamma
4) smt V Hema Malini
5) Venugopal Choudhary
6) shree T. V. rammaiyya
7)D Babu

Progressive construction pvt Ltd

8) K. Sambasiva Rao
9) M Rajendra prasad

Other officers related to work

10) R. V. Javdekar ( Executive engineer) 
11) C.S.deokar ( Executive engineer) 
12)S.L. Vaidya ( Executive engineer) 
13) A.S.More ( Executive engineer) 
14) D.S.Godse (sub-divisional engineer)
15) J.N.Lolap (sub-divisional engineer)
16) S.M.Patil (sub-divisional engineer)
17) R.B.Galiyal (sub-divisional engineer)
18) S.A.Pawar (sub-divisional engineer)
19)V.K.Lomate (branch engineer)
20) V.G.atre (branch engineer)
21) S.A.Tilekar (branch engineer)
22)V.G.Ganhawade (branch engineer)
23)B.M.Dhere (branch engineer)
24)V.R.Shinde (branch engineer)
25) R.R.Takwale (branch engineer)
26)T.A.Deshpande (branch engineer)
27)R.D.Patil (branch engineer)
29)S.D.Kokate (branch engineer)
30)A.V.Ghodake (branch engineer)
31) R.V. Pimlodkar (branch engineer)
32)J.Y.Suryavanshi (branch engineer)
33)S.K.Dhamankar (branch engineer)
34)A.G.Tantak (branch engineer)

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RTI KATTA is a platform to empower oneself through discussions amongst each other to solve their problems by using Right to Information act, Every Sunday at Chittaranjan Watika, Model Colony,Shivaji nagar, Pune, between 9.30 to 10.30 A.M.


RTI Resource Person, RTI Columnist
Phone – 9923299199
Website – http://surajya.org/


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Kingpin Santiago Martin being darling of all politicians 3 Lac crore rupee Maharashtra lottery scam may be toned down and killed

The Maharashtra online lottery scam runs into around three lac crore rupees , however kingpin  of  it Santiago martin being a darling of all political parties the scam is likely to be toned down and killed . No political party or its spokesperson has come forward to speak on this issue or at least demanded to nail the culprits.


Recently Anand kulkarni a  former IAS officer exposed a massive 'online lottery scam' took place eight years back and held then Finance Minister Jayant Patil  of NCP and senior IAS officer Kavita Gupta  responsible .Kulkarni unearthed this scam after he obtained a copy of CID report under RTI. After a complaint regarding tender awarded to Martin lottery agencies,  then Home Minister R R Patil  had  ordered a CID probe headed by the then Additional Director General of Police S P S Yadav into the lottery scam. Yadav had submitted its report , however, congress NCP led government didn't give heed to the report.

Though this scam runs into around three lac crores , this is not the first and the only scam of Santiago martin. He faces more than 35 lottery fraud cases in India and mostly are from Kerala. Once a small a labourer  in Myanmar after coming to India entered into lottery business - mostly frauds. As his business flourished he made many of friends mostly from political parties.

According to Indian express, Martin's  son Charles has joined BJP and his wife leena  had managed on one occasion to get on to the then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi' s campaign stage in Coimbatore.

Here are some stories carried by Indian Express  about such such scams




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RTI KATTA is a platform to empower oneself through discussions amongst each other to solve their problems by using Right to Information act, Every Sunday at Chittaranjan Watika, Model Colony,Shivaji nagar, Pune, between 9.30 to 10.30 A.M.


RTI Resource Person, RTI Columnist
Phone – 9923299199
Website – http://surajya.org/

Monday, January 18, 2016

Ruthess Attack on activists of Accountability Yatra Lead by Aruna Roy in Rajasthan

Peaceful Jawabdehi (Accountability)  Yatra launched by Magsaysay Award winner and pioneer of RTI Act Aruna Roy, along with Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh covering all the districts of Rajasthan to document people’s efforts and suggestions addressed to government schools and the larger education system, to make the government accountable for its decisions and advocating a sense of transparency in the system was attacked by mob lead by BJP MLA Kanwar lal Meena. It also vandalized vehicles and cameras were destroyed.





Mob attacked ruthlessly at Jhalawar, the constituency of the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.  A strong mob of 40 to 50 stormed into the meeting and attacked the people who were conducting the yatra peacefully. The BJP MLA began the assault by attacking Shankar Singh the well know activist of Mazdur Kisan Shakti Sanghatan. Encouraged by the leader’s brazen act, his followers began raining lathis on the peaceful and unarmed persons and volunteers and then went on to slap two women activists, break the glass panes of two vehicles and forcibly seize the camera from an independent filmmaker who was quietly documenting the public meeting and beat him up mercilessly when he tried to prevent an expensive Sony HD camera from being vandalized.


From left: Amitha, Atul, Radhika Ganesh, Anurag Singh, Mujeeb -
Photo courtsey http://www.thenewsminute.com

Shankar Singh, Anurag and Kamal tank and many other activists were injured. So far, police has not taken any action against the culprits.  Mob charged them with lathis on knee, and legs leading to internal injury.

Accountability yatra that begun on 1st of December 2015, from Jaipur, will cover all 33 districts of the state spending 3 days in each districts. Yatra is being participated by over 100 organizations of Rajasthan, under the banner “Soochana Evam Rojgar Adhikar Abhiyaan”. Around 80 people are travelling from day one, while hundreds join in each district for the local programmes.



Yatra is registering grievances on Ration, Pension, MGNREGA, Social Security schemes, school, hospitals etc. In each of the districts yatra spends two days in the fields with street plays performed, rally, demonstration, and public outreach programme at cross roads, small and big towns. In each of the district, there is “jan-sunwai” and “shikayat Mela” is organized, at the end of which, all the complaints that are registered therefore is handed over to the administration.  Complaints are registered online and tracked for their disposal.

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RTI Resource Person, RTI Columnist
Phone – 9923299199
Email – kvijay14@gmail.com
Website – http://surajya.org