Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday amid allegations of corruption levelled against his Cabinet minister Pankaja Munde and Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria's confidential meeting with fugitive former IPL chief Lalit Modi in the United Kingdom last year.
The meeting assumes significance as the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra is under Opposition scanner after state's Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde's name cropped up in a Rs 200 crore scam related to purchase of food items and other materials for government-run schools for tribal children, and over Rakesh Maria's meeting with Lalit Modi in the UK last year.
Pankaja, the daughter of late Gopinath Munde, is accused by the Congress-led Opposition of flouting rules and clearing 24 contracts worth Rs 206 crore for purchase of several items such as chikki, mats, books, dishes and water filters.
The Maharashtra government rules mandate e-tendering of all purchases over Rs 3 lakhs, but the same was overlooked by Munde in the case.
The alleged scam came to light after complaints were raised about the quality of chikkis distributed to tribal students. The chikkis were allegedly procured from an NGO, which was earlier blacklisted by the government.
Importantly, Vinod Tawde, another senior member of the Fadnavis Cabinet, has courted controversies these days over his alleged fake degree.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria's name also made headlines recently when it was reported that he had met Lalit Modi, wanted in India in cases related to money laundering, in the United Kingdom last year.
Despite Opposition's attack, the Fadnavis government has defended Munde and Maria, and said that it was fully satisfied with the explanations given by the two persons in question. Reacting to the allegations of scam against Munde, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis yesterday said, “Prima facie, she seemed to have done nothing wrong.”
“Prima facie there appears to be no wrongdoing (on Pankaja's part). If needed, we will probe the issue,” he said.
“Pankaja called me and she said she had not committed any irregularity and is ready to face any inquiry,” Fadnavis said.
In case of Rakesh Maria's meeting with tainted ex-IPL boss Lalit Modi, the Chief Minister said that he was fully satisfied with the explanation given by the Mumbai top cop.
Fadnavis said this after receiving a report from Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary KP Bakshi in this regard.
Turning heat on the Maharashtra government on the issue, the Opposition had dubbed the conduct of Maria as “inappropriate” and demanded his resignation or suspension.
Lalit Modi, who is facing probe by the Enforcement Directorate, is in news following revelations that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje helped him get a travel document in London.
