MUMBAI: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is also guardian minister of Beed, hometown of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, on Tuesday ordered a probe into the manner in which bills worth Rs 73 crore were approved without verification by the Beed district planning development committee (DPDC) when Munde was guardian minister in the past two years. Pawar decided to set up an inquiry panel after BJP legislator from Ashti Suresh Dhas levelled allegations against Munde days ago.
In a separate development, social activist Anjali Damania on Tuesday alleged there was a scam of Rs 161.6 crore in the agriculture department when Munde was agriculture minister in the previous Mahayuti govt and demanded his immediate dismissal from the state cabinet.
Ever since Dhas targeted Munde over his alleged links with Valmik Karad, the accused in the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, Damania too joined the campaign. On Tuesday she stepped up her campaign, saying CM Devendra Fadnavis must sack Munde immediately for his links with Karad and for his involvement in a multi-crore fraud.
Munde rejected said the allegations were false and baseless and a publicity gimmick. “I will file a defamation suit against her,” he said. Munde said he had earlier been silent and had faced a media trial for nearly two months. He said not only he but the entire Beed district and the community to which he belongs, had been defamed. “We will not tolerate the continued vilification campaign,” he said.
Damania alleged irregularities in procurement of material by the agricultural department under Munde. “All the resolutions issued during that period were signed by Munde and had the approval of both deputy CM Ajit Pawar in his capacity as finance minister and then chief minister Eknath Shinde. It is the responsibility of both Ajit Pawar and Shinde to explain the irregularities. A nano urea bottle worth Rs 92 was purchased for Rs 220. A tender was issued for the purpose when Munde was agriculture minister. Most of the items were purchased a price higher than the market rate.”