Adarsh plot not for Kargil heroes: Sushilkumar Shinde

Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Thursday said the plot in Colaba on which the controversial Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society has been erected, was ?not reserved? for defence personnel and Kargil war heroes.

Filing an affidavit before a two-member panel probing the Adarsh scam, Shinde said: “The plot where Adarsh stands is owned by the State of Maharashtra. The plot was not reserved for Defence personnel or Kargil war heroes.?

“The Letter of Intent dated January 18, 2003 made it clear that the land was allotted according to Government Resolution (GR) of July 1999 which did not provide reservation for war heroes,” said Shinde in his affidavit.

He said no complaints on Adarsh allotment was received by his during his tenure as Maharashtra Chief Minister.

“During my tenure as Chief Minister from May 2003 till November 2004, I did not get any complaint about any alleged irregularity in allotment of the land to Adarsh Society,” said his affidavit.

Meanwhile, the probe panel granted more time to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, to file an affidavit on the issue. He was asked to file his response by June 13.

Sucked into the controversy over allotment of flats in the Adarsh Society meant for Kargil War heroes’ families to a clutch of bureaucrats and politicians in Mumbai, Ashok Chavan resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister on Nov 9.

The 30-storey apartment, housing many top level defence officials, was built on a disputed army land at Colaba and the flats meant for the families of the Kargil martyrs were allotted to top defence officials and kins of politicians.