Mumbai: BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have come face to face over serious allegations related to irrigation projects. The political temperature has risen sharply in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar launched a direct attack on the BJP. Addressing the election meeting, Ajit Pawar referred to alleged irregularities in the Purandar Lift Irrigation Scheme and claimed that the project cost had been deliberately inflated during the Shiv Sena–BJP government between 1995 and 1999. Pawar said that when he became the Water Resources Minister in 1999 under the Congress-NCP government, the file related to the Purandar project came to him with an estimated cost of Rs 310 crore. Upon inquiry, senior officials informed him that the actual cost of the project was around Rs 200 crore, but Rs 100 crore had allegedly been added for party funds for Shivsena-BJP and another Rs 10 crore for officials’ kickbacks.
Cost inflation claims
Pawar further claimed that the file containing these details was still with him and added that had he made it public at the time, it would have caused massive political upheaval. His statements have raised eyebrows across political circles, especially given that the allegations relate to events that occurred nearly 25 years ago.
The political circles reacted sharply to Ajit Pawar’s statements, with BJP leaders questioning the timing and credibility of his allegations. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said such claims were not expected from a senior leader like Ajit Pawar. “If such a file existed, why did he remain silent since 1999?” Bawankule asked, adding that the public would not believe allegations raised after such a long gap. Expressing disappointment, he said Ajit Pawar’s remarks had come as a surprise even to his political allies.
Eknath Khadse criticism
Former Water Resources Minister Eknath Khadse also launched a strong attack, saying that recalling the file after 25 years amounted to admitting that corruption was protected for decades. Targeting Pawar over the irrigation scam issue, Khadse said that merely speaking of Rs 100 crore did not reflect the true scale of the irregularities. Adding to the controversy, former Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Department Vijay Pandhare made a sensational claim that while Ajit Pawar mentioned Rs 100 crore, the actual scam across various irrigation schemes ran into thousands of crores.
For several years, the BJP has targeted Ajit Pawar over alleged irregularities in irrigation projects, commonly referred to as the irrigation scam. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule recently reiterated that cases related to the alleged Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam involving Ajit Pawar are still pending before the courts, issuing what was seen as a political warning. However, in a significant turn during the civic poll campaign, Ajit Pawar mounted a counteroffensive by making fresh allegations against the BJP-Shivsena over corruption in irrigation projects during its earlier tenure.
The remarks sparked sharp reactions from BJP leaders. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule questioned Pawar’s silence for over two decades, asking why he did not act on the alleged irregularities if he indeed had the file since 1999. “If Ajit Pawar had such concrete evidence, why did he remain quiet for 25 years?” Bawankule asked, adding that the public would find it difficult to believe allegations raised after such a long gap. He expressed disappointment, saying such statements were not expected from a senior leader like Pawar, and suggested that pressure arising from the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad elections was behind the outburst.
Project status
Former BJP leader and former Water Resources Minister Eknath Khadse also launched a scathing attack on Ajit Pawar. Khadse said that remembering the file after 25 years amounts to admitting that corruption was protected for years. He demanded that Pawar make the file public in the interest of transparency. Khadse further stated that increasing a project estimate by Rs 100 crore would normally require an original project size of several hundred or thousand crores, questioning the credibility of Pawar’s claims. He alleged that if Pawar was aware of corruption and yet took no action, it reflected an attempt to suppress the issue.
Meanwhile, former Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Department, Vijay Pandhare, made explosive claims while speaking to the media, stating that Ajit Pawar’s allegations were “100 per cent true.” Pandhare said massive irregularities occurred in several lift irrigation schemes under the Krishna Valley project and claimed that while Pawar spoke of Rs 100 crore, the actual scam across projects ran into thousands of crores. He alleged that ministers, officials and contractors worked in collusion and that corruption in the irrigation sector far exceeded what was publicly acknowledged.
Pandhare further claimed that similar or even larger-scale corruption occurred in highway construction projects and alleged that corruption during the last decade surpassed that of previous governments. He also accused Ajit Pawar of being at the centre of many irregularities while avoiding naming specific officials to protect them. According to Pandhare, he had repeatedly written to the government in the past highlighting these issues, but no concrete action was taken.
Main Points (What is the scam)
The Purandar Lift Irrigation Scheme was approved in 1996 to provide water for agriculture in the drought-prone talukas of Purandar, Baramati and Daund in Pune district.
Under the project, four TMC of water from the Mula and Mutha rivers was approved to be lifted using pumping systems and supplied through pipelines to the drought-affected areas.
The scheme was expected to benefit agriculture across 63 villages in Pune district, covering nearly 25,498 hectares of farmland.
According to Ajit Pawar’s claim, the Shiv Sena–BJP alliance government approved an expenditure of around Rs 330 crore for the project in 1996.
After the change in government in 1999, when the Congress–NCP came to power and Ajit Pawar became the Water Resources Minister, he noticed that the project cost had been inflated. He claimed that officials informed him that Rs 100 crore was added for party funds and an additional Rs 10 crore was included by officials.
The project has received revised administrative approvals from time to time, and so far about Rs 393 crore has been spent, with further funds being sought for the remaining work.
The Purandar Lift Irrigation Scheme has been operational since 2006.
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