New Delhi: The list of questions for BJP president Nitin Gadkari seems to be endless. A CNN-IBN investigation has revealed more cases of financial impropriety. Ideal energy, a promoter of a company that had business links with Gadkari is built on land owned by the BJP chief's Purti group.
Nitin Gadkari's business links with IRB Infra Development Ltd, the company that received contracts worth several crores during his tenure as PWD minister, run deep. So much so that Ideal energy owned by promoters of IRB is built on the same premises as Gadkari’s Purti. Ideal energy is working on a 540 MW power project bought 55 acres of land from Purti in 2006. This 55 acres were part of the 180 acres of agricultural land Purti bought from farmers directly, which was land meant for cooperative use.
Purti paid the farmers approximately only 55 lakhs for the 180 acres. But it sold the 55 acres to Ideal energy at a whopping Rs 3.4 crore. Additionally locals allege water from Vadgaon dam meant to irrigate farm land have been diverted to not just Gadkari's Purti power plant but also to Ideal.
While Gadkari’ss purti got fund infusion from mysterious investors and friends like the IRB for possible quid pro quo, the NCP too appears to have extended him a few favours. NCP’s Ajit Pawar first allegedly favoured him by transferring land to purti. Another NCP minister Dilip Walse Patil in 2006 as Energy Minister granted Purti Power certain concessions.
For renewable energy projects, based on non-fossil fuel or biomass, the state power utility bears 50 per cent of total cost of transmission lines, the private power project bears the rest. Purti's power plant a cogeneration plant based on biomass and coal fell in that category. But as a special favour the state utility bore the entire cost of transmission and systems. This after then Chairman Nitin Gadkari made a request to then energy minister Walse Patil. While the BJP president has expressed his willingness for a probe by any agency, question of propriety conflict of interest and wrongdoing are only mounting.
CNN-IBN has accessed details of yet another shell company associated with Gadkari. Four companies were reportedly found registered to an address in Andheri, Mumbai, that does not exist. The companies, called Leverage Fintrade, Jasika Mercantile, Strelight Fincom and Regency Equifin were registered to a certain 'Salarsa Society' in Andheri. However, locals said there is no such address. The directors in these companies include Gadkari's accountant Kawdu Zade and two employees of Purti.
Meanwhile, Congress took at dig at LK Advani for backing his party chief Nitin Gadkari in the face of allegations of dubious funding of his companies, saying it reflected BJP's "double standards" on "every issue" including corruption. The party also sought to draw parallel between the controversy surrounding Gadkari and the cash on camera scandal involving former BJP chief Bangaru Laxman.
"BJP has internalised double standards in its approach to each and every issue. When the BJP or its leaders are in the zone of questioning, the argument of political vendetta is conveniently trotted out but when it involves a non-BJP issue of personality, they shoot from the hip without responsibility and restraint," party spokesperson Manish Tewari said.
As a storm raged over the dealings by Gadkari's firm, the RSS Wednesday came out
against "mind boggling" corruption but chose not to get involved in the controversy, saying it was an "internal matter of the party". Gadkari, who has already said he was open to a probe into the charges, also kept silent when asked whether he would step down following a suggestion by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani not to take up a second term.
(With additional inputs from PTI)
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