Adarsh scam: Neta-defence link comes to the fore

The nexus between the bureaucracy,  politicians and officials of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is becoming clearer now that government officials are submitting their depositions before the two-member commission set up to probe the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society (CHS) scam.

RC Joshi, who was the principal secretary of the revenue department at the time of allotment of the land to the Adarsh CHS, informed the commission on Friday that even officials from the MoD completely neglected the precautionary report sent by then Defence Estate Officer (DEO) Saurav Ray, as well as the report by then collector Pradip Vyas.

“We did not receive any reply from the authorities to whom Ray had forwarded copies of his letter,” said Joshi.

“Thereafter, there was no response on the issues raised with regard to requirement of the land, the title as well as the possession, and the security concerns as raised by the DEO,” he said.

Joshi’s deposition exposes how the entire government machinery had decided to sideline the issues raised by the DEO. “I do not recall having received any communication by me or any of my higher authorities from the MoD or any of the authorities to whom copies of the letter were sent by Ray,” he confirmed.