Mumbai collector Chandrashekhar Oak on Tuesday informed the two-member Adarsh inquiry commission that a government resolution (GR) dated July 9, 2004 was amended during the tenure of former chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and a reference to the Adarsh land’s being in possession of the defence department was removed.
Oak added that the amendment was carried out following a request by Adarsh society. “By a letter dated July 19, 2004, the Adarsh CHS sought an amendment to the GR dated July 9, 2004. The society wanted either the words ‘possession is with the defence department’ to be deleted or the word ‘illegal’ to be added,” said Oak.
A corrigendum with respect to the GR was issued on August 16, 2004. The words indicating that possession was with the defence department were deleted, he said.
Oak, however, could not confirm whether the file went to the chief minister or not. If the initial cost of the land is more than Rs25 lakh, then a file goes to the chief minister. “The cost of the land mentioned in the GR was more than Rs25 lakh, and so the matter should have gone to the chief minister,” said Oak.
In response to a question by commission counsel Dipan Merchant, Oak said it was not considered necessary to consult the ministry of defence (MoD) before making the amendment as the ministry was not consulted even before issuing the GR.
It was also revealed that the state government was not in physical possession of the land (which was with the defence department), even though a memorandum dated August 24, 2004 stated that there was no objection to handing over the land to the society.
The only evidence presented before the commission to prove that possession of the land was handed over to Adarsh was a charge receipt dated October 4, 2004. However, the document does not specify whether the possession is physical or on paper.
