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| Also see : Anti-Corruption, M-PAC |
| Below are the News Articles / Stories pertaining to the 'Ant-Corruption Bureau (ACB)', Mumbai. |
| Home >> ACB in the News >> Anti-Corruption Bureau, Maharashtra |   Email this Page |
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EXECUTIVE DECISION Brakes applied on SRA projects S Balakrishnan Officials authorised to identify beneficiaries of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) schemes have decided not to process fresh applications in view of allegations levelled against some projects. The implication for the city is that it will have to wait much longer to rid itself off its slums. Of the 12.5 lakh hutments, only about 1.25 lakh have been covered so far by the scheme, which was introduced by the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government. Under this scheme, builders are required to relocate slumdwellers in flats measuring 225 sq ft each in pucca buildings, and they can use the area thus vacated to build apartments to be sold in the open market. Officials of the collectorate, SRA and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) met two days ago and unanimously decided not to process any new SRA applications. Applications for implementing SRA schemes on state government land were accepted up to October 31, 2006. This was because the state government was finalising its new housing policy and there was a proposal to invite open bids for SRA schemes on its land. Earlier a builder could directly approach housing societies of slum-dwellers and if 70 per cent of them gave their consent he would submit his proposal to the SRA. Following allegations of unfair practices in many SRA schemes, the government is planning to invite public bids. But if the officials competent to approve the list of beneficiaries do not do their job then the government cannot invite the bids. "This will bring the entire scheme to a halt,'' an official who took part in the meeting said on Saturday. Though no new SRA schemes on state government land were being approved pending the finalisation of the new housing policy, schemes on private land were being given the nod. Now even this will stop completely. What has upset these officials is the spectre of the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) looming large over all SRA schemes in the metropolis. About 80-odd SRA cases are being probed by the ACB. "If there are specific charges of acceptance of bribes against any official then the ACB should proceed against him. But now all officials are under the scanner,'' an official from the collectorate said. It is said that the decision to permit the ACB to probe SRA schemes violates a 1972 circular of the government, which states that before the bureau is asked to step in, the department concerned itself should have carried out its own inquiry. In this case, no internal inquiry was done by the urban development or housing departments. balakrishnan.s@timesgroup.com URL : http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA3LzA0LzA4I0FyMDA1MDE=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom |
| Also see : Anti-Corruption, M-PAC |
