Mumbai, Feb 4 (PTI) – Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has constituted a three-member inquiry panel to probe alleged irregularities in the allocation of ₹877 crore by the Beed district planning committee during the tenure of his cabinet colleague, Dhananjay Munde, as the district's guardian minister.
The decision to launch the probe follows allegations made by BJP MLA Suresh Dhas regarding fund misappropriation. Pawar had assured a thorough investigation into the matter, leading to the panel's formation.
Scope of Inquiry
The committee will scrutinize administrative approvals granted for development projects under the Beed district planning committee for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25. This includes reviewing technical clearances, commencement orders, and fund disbursement during Munde’s tenure.According to sources, the inquiry team has already convened at the Beed district collector's office and has begun reviewing records of all projects sanctioned over the past two years.
Panel Composition and Mandate
Activist Anjali Damania revealed in a social media post that Dharashiv Deputy Collector Santosh Bhor will lead the probe. The other members include M.K. Bhange, Additional Director of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, and Sunil Suryawanshi, Jalna District Planning Officer.The team has been directed to assess the status of approved works, scrutinize technical approvals, and analyze fund allocations. They must submit their findings within a week, as per the directive issued by State Secretary Sushma Kambli.
Political Backdrop and Opposition Pressure
The inquiry was ordered after Ajit Pawar chaired the first district planning committee meeting on January 30, where it was decided to investigate the ₹877 crore worth of projects sanctioned in Beed.Meanwhile, Munde, a prominent Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader from Beed, is also under mounting political pressure following the murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. His close associate, Walmik Karad, has been arrested in an extortion case linked to the murder, intensifying calls from the opposition for Munde’s resignation.
Ahead of the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Munde met Ajit Pawar, but details of their discussion remain undisclosed. The unfolding developments could have significant political ramifications in the state.