Study of Ethical Issues in Adarsh Housing Society Scam
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to highlight unethical practices involved in one of the well-known scams in India - The Adarsh Housing Society Scam. This society is a cooperative society in Mumbai and the scam dates back to February 2002. At that time, a request was made to the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra for allotment of land in Colaba area of Mumbai for the construction of this housing society. Colaba is one of the most posh areas in Mumbai having Nariman Point in its vicinity. The welfare of serving and retired personnel of the Defence Services was the main motive behind the allotment. But over a period of 10 years, some bureaucrats, military officers and politicians went ahead to mould the rules in their favour, so as to get the flats allotted to them at much lowered prices. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India 2011 report to the President pointed out ‘The episode of Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society reveals how a group of select officials, placed in key posts, could subvert rules and regulations in order to grab prime government land- a public property- for personal benefit.’ The allegations against the three former Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Sushil Kumar Shinde, the late Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan are still in process by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Income tax (IT) department and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Background of the Adarsh Co operative Housing Society
A serving Sub-divisional Officer in the Defence Estates Office (DEO) Mumbai, Shri Ramchandra Sonelal Thakur, addressed a letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 2002 as Chief Promoter of the Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society. This letter was regarding the allotment of 38542 sq. metres of land in Block No VI of the Back Bay Reclamation Scheme (BBR), Colaba, Mumbai. The major reason for this allotment was quoted as the welfare of serving and retired personnel of the Defence Services in numerous communications among the Society, Defence
The purpose of this report is to highlight unethical practices involved in one of the well-known scams in India - The Adarsh Housing Society Scam. This society is a cooperative society in Mumbai and the scam dates back to February 2002. At that time, a request was made to the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra for allotment of land in Colaba area of Mumbai for the construction of this housing society. Colaba is one of the most posh areas in Mumbai having Nariman Point in its vicinity. The welfare of serving and retired personnel of the Defence Services was the main motive behind the allotment. But over a period of 10 years, some bureaucrats, military officers and politicians went ahead to mould the rules in their favour, so as to get the flats allotted to them at much lowered prices. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India 2011 report to the President pointed out ‘The episode of Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society reveals how a group of select officials, placed in key posts, could subvert rules and regulations in order to grab prime government land- a public property- for personal benefit.’ The allegations against the three former Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Sushil Kumar Shinde, the late Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan are still in process by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Income tax (IT) department and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Background of the Adarsh Co operative Housing Society
A serving Sub-divisional Officer in the Defence Estates Office (DEO) Mumbai, Shri Ramchandra Sonelal Thakur, addressed a letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 2002 as Chief Promoter of the Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society. This letter was regarding the allotment of 38542 sq. metres of land in Block No VI of the Back Bay Reclamation Scheme (BBR), Colaba, Mumbai. The major reason for this allotment was quoted as the welfare of serving and retired personnel of the Defence Services in numerous communications among the Society, Defence