Nationalist Congress Party asks Maharashtra's Transport Minister Gulabrao Deokar to resign

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has asked Maharashtra's Transport Minister Gulabrao Deokar to resign for his alleged involvement in the housing scam in Jalgaon district. Mr.Deokar who is an NCP leader from Jalgaon in North Maharatra, is now likely to be arrested by Jalgaon police soon.

Gulabrao Deokar is a minster of state with independent charge of transport department. His name featured in the FIR related to the housing scam that happened in Jalgaon over a decade ago. Homes were promised to thousands of citizens for with the minicipal corporation acquired land but the project was never completed. Former state minister Sureshdada Jain was alleged to be involved in this case.

Mr.Deokar was granted bail by Jalgaon court in May 2012 but some social activists filed an application before the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court requesting cancellation of this bail. The high court accepted the plea made by the applicants and on Monday cancelled the bail granted by lower court.

On Monday evening State NCP President Madhukar Pichad asked Mr.Deokar to put in his resignation. Sources said that NCP Chief Sharad Pawar had ordered that Mr.Deokar should resign.