Prithviraj Chavan demands CBI probe in procurement scam

MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today sought a CBI probe into allegations against Pankaja Munde regarding procurement by her department and said his party is mulling to take legal recourse against Education Minister Vinod Tawde over his alleged bogus degree.

A free and impartial probe is required into the case of procurement worth Rs 206 crore by state Women and Child Development Department as well as the bogus degree case, Chavan said addressing a press conference here.

"It was the previous government which decided that procurement of more than Rs 50 lakh would be done through e-tendering. When I took over, I lowered the amount limit to Rs 10 lakh, while the BJP government reduced the amount further to Rs three lakh," the senior Congress leader said.

"(Chief Minister) Devendra Fadnavis should clarify what was in his mind when he decided that procurement of more than Rs three lakh would be done by e-tendering and what he has to say on the rules being flouted," he said.

To a question on BJP's contention that the process of the previous Congress-NCP rule was followed in procurement, Chavan said he was not averse to a CBI probe into the purchases made during the previous government's tenure also.

Targeting Tawde, he said the institute from which the education minister got his Bachelor of Engineering degree may be the best institute in the world, but the fact is that it has no right nor is authorised to confer engineering degrees.

"We are thinking of taking legal recourse on this issue," the former CM said.

"The state government's apathy on important issues is evident from the fact that farmers are in trouble. Drought conditions are still prevailing. There is tremendous unease in the farming sector, there is need for resowing and no help is coming from the government. Sugar cane prices have come down steeply. Sugar co-operatives have not paid FRP (fair and remunerative price) to farmers," Chavan rued.

The state government wants to wind up the co-operative movement in the state, he alleged.