Monday 8 January 2018

Ministerial splurge in the Maharashtra Agriculture Development Corporation 

As per the Government resolution a Minister privilege for getting a convoy of vehicles was cancelled in 2005 and it was decided to provide only one vehicle for each Minister and which had in practice, but the State's Agriculture Minister Pandurang Phundkar and Minister of State Sadabhau Khot seems to have broken the rules. whereas Pandurang Phundkar has been provided with 2 additional vehicles along with driver, Sadabhau Khot has been provided an additional one more vehicle with driver as per the surprising information provided to RTI Activist Anil Galgali by the Maharashtra Agriculture Development Corporation. Further the Principal Secretary, the Minister's Private secretary and the Former Agriculture Minister Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil seems to have washed thier linen in the water which flowed.

RTI Activist Anil Galgali had sought information from the Maharashtra Agriculture Development Corporation about the details of Vehicles provided by it to the Minister's, his aides and others by it. In the information provided by the Maharashtra Agriculture Development Corporation it was revealed that, Agriculture Minister Pandurang Phundkar has been provided 2 Vehicles and 3 drivers, all the 3 drivers are on contract with the corporation. Similarly Minister of State Sadabhau Khot has been provided with 1 vehicle and 2 drivers and both are in contract basis, also the Principal Secretary of Agriculture department, Mr Bijaykumar and the Private secretary of the Agriculture Minister has been provided with one vehicle each and drivers of both are permanent staff of the corporation. The Former Agriculture Minister and the current Leader of Opposition in the state, Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil is using his personal vehicle but is using the services of the driver employed permanently with the corporation. The expenses for maintenance of Pandurang Phundkar's vehicles incurred by the corporation was Rs 25,25,809/- in the past 7 months including new vehicle amount. Sada Khot was provided with a new vehicle and including the cost of the vehicle an amount totalling Rs 26,50,278/- has been spent by the corporation. The vehicle in service of the Principal Secretary Bijaykumar has incurred a cost of Rs 66,035/- on service and fuel. On the vehicle provided to Pvt Secretary Dhurzad a cost of Rs 47,534/- has been incurred. 

In further information provided to Anil Galgali by the Agriculture department's Under Secretary U M Madan that both the Minister Pandurang Phundkar and Minister of State Sada Khot have been provided with one  by it each costing Rs 19,99,999/-. The General Administration Department of the govt has also informed Galgali that, as per the Govt Resolution dt 26th December 2005 both the Minister's have been provided with one vehicle each for their use,  by rejecting of convoy system. It is clear from the details that the both the Minister's have been using multiple vehicles by circumventing and flouting the government resolution alleged Galgali. 

Anil Galgali further said that the Minister's have been misusing their position and have availed services of additional vehicles and staff as such the Government should recover the public money being splurged by the Minister's and the same should be recovered from them. Similarly the actions of the Principal Secretary Bijaykumar and the Pvt secretary should be enquired into and penalties and cost should be recovered from them. 

The Maharashtra Agriculture Development Corporation is functioning in loss and as such the funds are being rampantly misused. The government should enquire and find out all such similar violation by other Minister's, Bereaucrats, Officers, OSD, staff and cronies of the Minister's and action should be initiated and costs recovered from them forthwith, said Galgali.

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