Ramanisblog

Day: September 26, 2012

  • How Sharad Pawar and Congress Hid Land Scams of 72 000 Crore

    Thehelka has come out with a Story as a follow up of its earlier report on the nexus between Land mafia and Politicians in Maharashtra.

    Close on the heels of the irrigation scam , comes the report that Prithviraj Chavan , the present CM scrapped a plethora of questionable deals amounting to 72000 crore(55+12=4089)

    Some of the deals were signed just few hours before Ashok Chavan remitted office ,as a result of Adarsh Scam.

    Point of interest is that the Congress is in cahoots with NCP and they can not afford to adopt the ‘Holier Than Thou’ attitude.

    Reminds you of 2 G, DMK and Congress!

    “Excerpts from the story:

    'Pawar,Chavan, Deshmukh and Supriya Sule'jpg.
    1. Ashok Chavan
    Former Chief Minister, Maharashtra
    As revenue minister, gifted 102 acres in the heart of Pune to a private builder for a mere 4,058. Actual worth of the land: Rs 2,500 crore
    2. Sharad Pawar
    Union Agriculture Minister
    Tech Park One, a company owned by Pawar’s family and close friends acquired defence land for 7 crore. Its market value: Rs 70 crore
    3. Vilasrao Deshmukh
    Rural Development And Panchayati Raj Minister
    A CAG report indicted Vilasrao for illegally allotting a 2 lakh sq m plot at throwaway prices to the Vilasrao Deshmukh Foundation, a trust run by Deshmukh and his family
    4. Ajit Pawar
    Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra
    Gave away 2 lakh sq ft of land to AG Mercantile. It later emerged that Ajit Pawar had owned 8,800 shares of the company when 2G scam accused Vinod Goenka was its director
    5.Supriya Sule
    Lok Sabha MP
    Along with her husband, Supriya holds substantial stakes in multi-billion-dollar real estate projects. Has a stake in Tech Park One, which constructed Panchsheel Tech Park on a defence plot, earning an annual rent of Rs 27 crore
    Photos (L To R): Shailendra Pandey, Deepak Salvi, Shailendra Pandey, Fotocorp

    Though it’s still early days, Prithviraj seems to be charting his own course. In an informal discussion with a small group of journalists at his residence on 12 May, he expressed his dismay with the way the multi-billion rupee Dharavi slum rehabilitation project was structured by his predecessor, Ashok Chavan.

    “We have over half-a-dozen town planning and housing government agencies in this city,” said Prithiviraj. “I don’t understand why we should hand over precious public land to private developers when we ourselves can do the rehabilitation and redevelopment work. The government will stand to earn hundreds of crores of rupees from the land that would otherwise go into the pockets of private builders.”

    12,500 cr The total worth of the township projects that were scrapped by Prithviraj. The projects had been cleared on the morning of 11 November 2010, just hours before Prithviraj took over

    Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, is spread over 500 acres in the heart of Mumbai. Out of the 500 acres, 150 acres has already been redeveloped. But the redevelopment proposal of the remaining 350 acres has been in limbo for the past 15 years, primarily because both the builders and politicians are wrangling over their share of the spoils.

    The government owns almost 80 percent of this land (75 percent belongs to the state government and the rest to the Central government). The government files show that after relocating more than 60,000 families living on this 350 acres, at least 4.35 crore sq ft of built-up area will be available for sale in the free market. According to a very conservative estimate (based on a projection made by a government official and is part of the official file), the private developers will stand to earn a gross revenue of more than Rs 26,000 crore. The market estimates put the figure in excess of Rs 50,000 crore……

    ON MAY 7, Prithviraj scrapped two special township projects worth over 12,500 crore that had been awarded by Ashok Chavan to private developers without inviting any competitive bidding. The projects were given clearance on the morning of 11 November 2010, just hours before Prithviraj was administered the oath.

    Between 1-10 November, files related to these projects moved at an astonishing speed between half-a-dozen government departments before finally being sanctioned by Ashok Chavan just a couple of hours prior to Prithviraj’s oath ceremony.

    Now Prithviraj has not only scrapped these two projects, he has also put another four integrated township projects — the cumulative worth of all the six projects is about 55,000 crore — awarded by Ashok Chavan and Vilasrao Deshmukh under review. All these six projects were approved arbitrarily and without inviting any competitive bids or public tenders. (See the box on 3K).

    55,000 cr Cumulative worth of six projects awarded by Ashok Chavan and Vilasrao Deshmukh now under review. They were approved arbitrarily without inviting any competitive bids

    When contacted, Deshmukh told TEHELKA, “I don’t have the project files with me anymore. But what I can say is that the projects were sanctioned as per the rules.” Ashok Chavan refused to comment on the issue saying that the matter was sub-judice.

    But if the Adarsh Housing Society scam was appalling, what will you do after reading the following disclosures?

    On 9 January 2002, when Ashok Chavan was the revenue minister in Deshmukh’s government, he passed a “scandalous order” whereby he allegedly gifted away 102 acres in the heart of Pune to a private builder. The land was situated in one of Pune’s most posh localities, Senapati Bapat Road.

    http://www.tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=Ne280511Coverstory.asp

    Story and Photo Source: Tehelka

  • Borrow Money Intelligently,Manage Your Personal Finance Video

     

    I have come across interesting Talks,Sites and Bogs on the subject of Borrowing Money.

    There used to be a time when borrowing was considered to be a sin and it was treated as a Crime to delay payment.

    Now, thanks to changing value systems and the Modern economy, if you do not borrow, you are not recognised and we are now used to a Lifestyle of wanting more than what we earn and in some cases what we deserve.

    No point in suggesting people the safest and carefree Life is Not to Borrow.

    Since there are no takers, the next option is to  find out How To Borrow Intelligently.

    Money Talks Show.

    Read On:

    • ‘As any smart borrower could tell you, it’s important to read the fine print when it comes to lenders. Sure, that balance transfer may sound appealing now, but what happens in 6 months when the interest rates sky rocket? Credit card companies are notorious for hiding their little tricks in the fine print so pull at the magnifying glass if necessary.
    • Even if you choose to consolidate debt and borrow more, always make more than the minimum required payments. By consolidating your debt, you may be eligible for lower monthly payments, but they won’t help you get your debt paid off any faster. Smart borrowers even go so far as to pay off their entire balance each month.
    • Do you only have one or two credit cards? Do yourself a favor and keep it that way. Trying to juggle too many lines of credit is the opposite of smart borrowing. It’s simply too difficult to keep track of a dozen different credit cards, with their different due dates and minimum monthly payments. It’s almost inevitable that those who have too many credit options end up putting themselves in debt.
    • If you’re planning on taking out a new credit card or any type of line of credit, do your homework to find the best possible interest rate. By now, everyone should know how important their interest rates are. In essence, they represent the cost of borrowing money and if you get stuck with a high rate, you’ll end up paying a lot more over time.
    • No matter how much debt you’ve accumulated or how much you still need to borrow, saving money is always important. While repaying borrowed money is probably your number one priority, do not neglect your savings. You just never know when something could happen, such as a car accident or hospital visit, that could require you to break out the savings.
    • Finally, don’t fall for the idea that declaring bankruptcy will be an easy fix to your debt problems. While bankruptcy may be able to help some people in the right situation, it can be a disaster for many. Declaring bankruptcy will absolutely ruin your credit score for the next several years and making borrowing more money all but impossible.’
    • http://www.borrowingsdebt.com/how-to-borrow-intelligently.php

    Tips to Save Money:

    1. Treat every purchase like it’s a major purchase. You have a few opportunities in life to save a lot of money, but it’s the small daily ones that will make or break you.
    2. Vacation close to home so you can drive instead of fly.
    3. Delay big purchases as long as possible. You may lose interest or find an alternate solution.
    4. Hang dry your laundry, indoors if necessary.
    5. Choose a hairstyle that does not require frequent trims.
    6. Repair instead of replace. This goes for appliances, furniture, clothing, whatever.
    7. Borrow infrequently used tools and supplies instead of buying. (Also make sure to lend.)
    8. Bank at a credit union instead of a corporate bank. You’ll most likely save on fees.
    9. Wear the clothes you already own instead of buying new stuff all the time.
    10. Cook from scratch and save restaurant meals for special occasions.
    11. Make sure you have a few easy meals on hand for those nights when takeout dinner is calling your name. There’s nothing wrong with serving scrambled eggs and toast for dinner.
    12. Use your library for books, magazines, movies and CD‘s. And then make sure to return them on time!
    13. Foster your relationships with like minded friends. They won’t make you feel bad about sticking to a budget.
    14. Pack your own work and school lunches.
    15. Replace expensive recipe ingredients with inexpensive options. Perfect example? Kale instead of basil in pesto.
    16. Don’t be a snob about older electronics. You will survive without the newest iPhone.
    17. Learn how to mend and de-stain your clothing. If half your wardrobe is out of commission, you’re missing out.
    18. Batch your errands whenever you drive.
    19. Drink water or homemade iced tea instead of soda.
    20. Choose social get togethers that do not include shopping.
    21. Cancel memberships that you do not use. Gyms, premium cable channels, and everything else.
    22. Pay attention to your household’s food waste. Eat what you have, and stop buying the food that you tend to waste.
    23. Be willing to own less stuff. There’s less to buy, organize, clean and look at.
    24. Wait until movies hit the second run theaters.
    25. Decline your friends’ shopping parties. You don’t need any more Tupperware, baskets, jewelry or candles.

    For more  follow the Link:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katy-wolkstanley/budgeting-saving-money-ideas_b_1770454.html

     

     

  • Cabinet Berths, DMK Turns Down Or Turned Down?

    The DMK has put out a news release stating that the DMK was offered two Cabinet berths and that it had turned it down.

    Let us look at the current developments at the National level.

    The 2 G, ISRO, CWG scams  sort of fading away from people’s memory and in the 2 G the Congress has not been directly implicated.

    ISRO scam had become an ISRO is an  in-house achievement.

    Coalgate , yes , the Congress has a lot explain.

    The Congress would not like to complicate its chances with additional baggage.

    In The Maharashtra Irrigation scam of 70,000 Crore it is the NCP that is taking the flak.

    Arm twisted by Sharad Pawar, the Congress fended off investigations till TIMESNOW Channel flashed the Documents directly implicating Ajith Pawar,nephew of Sharad Pawar and Maharasthra Deputy Chief Minister.

    Congress gave  a nod to CBI to probe the irrigation scam

    Miffed, Ajith Pawar resigned on 25 th along with the NCP ministers tendered his resignaion(raed my blog on this)

    Congress does not want to spoil its chances in the States as it is quite nervy at the National hustings.

    It wants to avoid avoidable baggage.

    When it can with NCP which has number,s it can do it with the DMK.

    Naranyanaswamy , the errand boy(actually a Union Minister) was despatched to meet Karunanidhi and convey the message that he should lie low or share NCP’s discomfiture.

    It does not take time to speed up Raja, Kalaignar TV ,Kanimozhi cases.

    Added to this, is the discomfort the DMK hands out on Sri Lanka issues.

    For Karunanidhi the case is different.

    The only problem is not of propriety but the question of whom to give cabinet berths to,Azhagiri faction,Stalin Group or Kanomizhi Cronies or at the last resort to some DMK functionary.

    He just can not do anything for fear of inter-cine quarrels

    Keeping away from the Ministry would save him from frictions in the Family.

    It can also provide him with an option for alliances for the ensuing elections.

    Thieves and crooks all.

    To read that the DMK turned down Cabinet berths, I burst out laughing!

    Karunanidhi's Family ,jpg
    Karunanidhi’s Family Tree.

    “”Though our senior MPs wanted use the opportunity to get a good portfolio or two, Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) appears to be of a different view. He has been thinking about the stability of the government and it is one of the reasons for not accepting the offer,” a senior DMK leader said. “Many of our district secretaries are against continuing with the alliance with the Congress. They have been expressing their views to Kalaignar and asking him to distance the party from the Congress,” said a former state minister.

    Senior DMK leaders point out that anger against the UPA government has been growing following a series of anti-people measures like fuel price hike and cap on subsidized LPG cylinders. “Such issues are also likely to cast a shadow on our prospects. The party wishes to keep its options open on alliances for the next Lok Sabha elections,” the leader said”

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/DMK-turns-down-PMs-offer-of-berths-in-Union-Cabinet/articleshow/16551272.cms

    * Karunanidhi is not a fool to throw away power, considering how his kith and are placed.See the family Picture.

    Also Azhagiri’s son is caught in Illegal Mining case in Madurai(read my blog) and has been refused bail

  • 70,000 Crore Scam Maharashtra Irrigation,Pawar’s Fight On

    shardpawr_phnr_rjdp_338x225.jpg
    Sharad Pawar and Ajith Pawar

    In Maharashtra a scam of Rs 72,000 Crore has been exposed by Vijay Pandhare, chief engineer (water resources department) and member of the state-level technical advisory committee.

    He sent  15-page note to the State Government and blamed the politician-officer-contractor nexus for the mess.

    The Note was sent in May 2012 and it became Public in September.

    The State provided Rs  7000 crore in the Budget.

    The liability exceeds Rs.1,000,00 Crore!

    The estimates were revised arbitrarily, in one case from Rs 200 Crore to 650 Crore,

    Over 3000 such Projects were completed( on paper)

    32 Major Projects were cleared by Ajith Pawar in three months

    Productivity of the scheme is not even 0 .1%

    Excerpts of the Note:

    ‘In an explosive revelation, a whistle-blower in the state government has said a staggering Rs 35,000 crore was siphoned off and wasted on dud irrigation projects in the past decade. The Maharashtra government has spent Rs 70,000 crore on such projects across the state during this period….

    Pandhare further revealed that IDCOM, a corporation formed by the irrigation department, undertook 227 medium projects for lift irrigation schemes. “They could not be completed. No one benefited from these schemes and public money was wasted. Who is responsible for this?”

    The letter said 3,000 such lift irrigation schemes were completed, but not even 1% of them are functional. “Despite knowing the history, estimates and tenders worth Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore are formulated,” it said.

    Pandhare stated that the annual budget of the state irrigation department is around Rs 7,000 crore. “Yet, how is it that the state has incurred a liability of nearly Rs one lakh crore to execute the balance ongoing projects? A prudent government would never take such a decision. We need to introspect on it,” he said.

    The chief engineer gave the example of the Nardave project in Konkan, the cost of which was revised from Rs 200 crore to Rs 650 crore after the dam height was increased without proper sanction. “The rate estimate of this project is fit case for detailed investigation. The contractor was provided an exorbitant rate,” said his note.

    “Likewise, crores of rupees were paid as false claims towards machinery idle charges and sanctioned every year by the executive director. He had no such power. Yet he sanctioned it along with the minister in a hurry, without the permission of the government,” it said. The same modus operandi was used in Kondhane, Balganga and Hetwane projects in Konkan. “Officers who attempt to vet or investigate are transferred,” said Pandhare in his note.

    In the Konkan region, minor irrigation projects are approved and immediately a proposal to increase the height of the dam is mooted and sanctioned at the level of corporation. “Rates are increased under political pressure, tenders are floated and managed. This has been going on in Konkan for the last 20 years,” he claimed.

    Pandhare suggested that 30-40 proposed projects in Konkan be stopped because the water utilization in this region is not even 10%. “All tenders of projects which have incurred less than 20% of the estimated expenditure must be thoroughly investigated, and if required, cancelled in public interest,” it added.

    The chief engineer also gave the example of the Manjarpada-1 project. The cost is Rs 500 crore to create water storage of 500 mcft. The officer said only Rs 15-16 lakh was required per mcft. “Irrigation department’s investigation wing, which actually prepares the estimates, is literally non-existent. Hence, regional officers of the corporation themselves make the estimates without check. In reality, contractors themselves make the estimates,’

    http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/16328394.cms

    The issue was raised in the Assembly during the last sesion and no action has been taken yet.

    Now The Deputy CM of Maharashtra Ajith Pawar,nephew of Union Agriculture Minister and the leader of NCP has tendered his resignation

    In support of him NCP Ministers in the Maharashtra Cabinet have submitted their resignations to their State Party Chief.

    This move is to threaten the Congress led Maharashtra Government headed by Prithviraj Chavan.

    On contacted Sharad Pawar was taken by surprise.

    It transpires from News Channels that Ajith Pawar was building his coterie against his Uncle Sharad Pawar.

    Sharad Pawar,whose MPs also count in the Lok Sabha for the stability of the UPA at the Centre has been able to ward of inquires into this scam till now.

    Shaken by the Documents surfacing in the Media the Congress is reported to be arranging for an enquiry as the Congress is now  besieged by the Coalgate scam(35,000 Crore)

    Upset by his Uncle not being able to block enquiry Ajith Pawar is reported to have resigned and made his supporters to resign.

    Shard Pawar can not afford to leave the Centre now, though he is putting on a Show that he would quit

    The whole episode is a drama being enacted for Public consumption and to take the heat off the scam for now.

    It is expected that the Ministers will take back their resignations to morrow and Ajith pawar may lie low for the time being, only to be reinstated at the Centre Like TR Baalu of the DMK.Right now the CM Prithviraj chavan declined to accept Ajith Pawar’s resignation

    All this deflects adroitly the attention that needs to be paid to the scam.

    See the Power-play.”

    In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists — Vinod Mehta, Editorial Chairman, ‘Outlook’; Keshav Rao, Cong Gen Secy in-charge, AP; Kirit Somaiya, National Secretary, BJP; and Swapan Dasgupta, Senior Journalist — debate the issue whether the real fight between the NCP and Congress is about ending investigations into multi-thousand crore rupee scams in Maharashtra.

    NCP has decided to pull out of the UPA govt and support it from outside in protest against the way the party was treated by Congress, creating fresh trouble for the ruling coalition. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Minister for Agriculture, and the only other representative in the Union Cabinet, Praful Patel, Minister for Heavy Industry, have informed PM Manmohan Singh that they are tendering their resignation. In a separate communication to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Pawar has said NCP, which has 9 members in the LS and 7 in the RS, will stay part of the UPA. Despite these missives from NCP sent yesterday, the Cong leadership was continuing to make efforts to retain the party in the coalition govt. The Cong Core Group including Gandhi, Singh and senior Ministers, met this evening after which party sources claimed the crisis was being defused. TIMES NOW gets you the inside story on why NCP and Cong are fighting a high-pitched battle. Sources close to TIMES NOW say that twin scams in Maharashtra is the real reason behind Sharad Pawar-Congress fight. The alleged Rs 26000 cr irrigation scam and Maha Sadan scam are believed to be the reason behind the latest standoff. As the Congress-led state government in Maharashtra begins to probe the scam, sources within Congress say that they were expecting the events unfolding in the capital.

    Watch the Debate at the Link:http://www.timesnow.tv/Debate-Twin-scams-behind-NCP-Cong-tension-1/videoshow/4406748.cms