A new controversy pertaining to irregularities in funds sanctioned for development work in minority-dominated rural pockets in the state has come to light, which could spell fresh trouble for the government. On March 31, 2017, the last day of fiscal 2016-17, the state’s minorities development department, headed by senior BJP minister Vinod Tawde, had issued orders sanctioning grants for development work worth Rs 6.32 crore in the minority-dominated pockets. But official papers now reveal that 26 projects among these were issued grants without any administrative or technical sanction.
The “irregular” works, spread across nine districts, were collectively worth Rs 2.2 crore, the documents show. Admitting to the irregularity, Shyam Tagade, Principal Secretary (Minorities Development), said an under-secretary, Shashikant Salunkhe, had been placed under suspension for it. What has stoked the controversy further are the allegations that Salunkhe has formally raised against a senior official in Tawde’s office.
Facing a departmental probe, Salunkhe has alleged that the 26 projects under the scanner were included at the instance of Tawde’s Officer-on-Special Duty, Dr Charudatta Shinde, whom he has also accused of taking cuts for the works. Shinde, incidentally, is the nephew of Union Minister of State (Defence), Subhash Bhamre.
On May 18, Salunkhe, in a letter addressed to Tagade, wrote, “Around 12.45 pm on March 31, I received the file from the minister’s office containing notings on grants sanctioned against individual works recommended by elected representatives/MLAs. But on the same day, a senior official, who handles minority development affairs in Tawde’s office, had given me oral orders for the modification of the sanction. His stenographer had even personally visited my desk to communicate the same. While acting on oral instructions was an error on my part, I wish to clarify that I had done nothing of my own volition, and had acted as per Shinde’s orders.” Later, on June 11, Salunkhe wrote another letter clarifying that Shinde was the senior official he had referred to.
According to information, the irregularity first came to light on April 24, when Tawde received complaints from some MLAs in this regard. The department revoked the order for the 26 works five days later, while issuing a show cause notice to Salunkhe.
The suspended desk officer has also alleged that he had “collected amounts” against the sanction of funds for the works and surrendered these to Shinde’s stenographer outside the Mantralaya gates on March 31. Accusing Shinde of “mental harassment”, Salunkhe claimed that he had also paid the minister’s OSD Rs 1 lakh from his pocket in January, after being “threatened to do so”. He has also alleged that another Rs 28,000 had been paid by him to the stenographer on April 1.
Shinde, when contacted, said he would not like to comment on the controversy. Tawde, on the other hand, said, “The matter in question is seven months old. The department has also previously issued a clarification with regard to it. Adequate action has been initiated at the department level.” When pointed out that Salunkhe had recently named his OSD in the controversy, Tawde said, “Our inquiry so far indicates that the allegations raised by him are baseless.”
Tagade, meanwhile, said the department had acted in the nick of time to stop the funds from being released for the irregular work. Echoing Tawde, the bureaucrat further said there was no evidence to back the allegations Salunkhe raised against the minister’s OSD.
As part of the investigations, the department has recorded statements of Shinde and his stenographer. Statements of two department officials, who were mentioned by Salunkhe in his letters, were recorded too. While Salunkhe had claimed that the two officials were aware of the harassment he faced, sources said both had denied any knowledge in this regard.
While the departmental inquiry against Salunkhe is ongoing, the sources said he had been placed under suspension since July 3. Following his suspension, the sources added, Salunkhe had written another letter offering to withdraw the allegations raised by him.
