Politicians, ex-bureaucrat lied about their income

In Maharashtra, the income criteria for applying for a government flat or membership in a housing society on a government land are very strict. There are various groups like low, middle and high income groups, for which the income range is given.

For middle income group, the monthly income should be between Rs 12,000 to
Rs 20,000 and for high income group, the income should be above Rs 20,000. You can apply for a government-sponsored flat only if you fit in that income category.

So, if your income is above Rs 20,000, you cannot apply for a flat meant for middle income groups and so on.

Same rules were applicable to the Adarsh Society as the land for it was given by the state government. Only defence officers were excluded from the income criteria.One of the members of the Society happens to be former Union Power Minister Suresh Prabhu, who belongs to the Shiv Sena. This former chairman of Saraswat Bank declared a monthly income of just Rs 20,000.

Former Congress legislator Kanhaiyalal Gidwani’s family has three flats in the building–– all valued at over Rs 30 crore. He has claimed his monthly income to be just about
Rs 30,000 a month.

His sons Kailash and Amit declared monthly incomes of Rs 12,500 and Rs 11,500 respectively to fit in the income criteria.

Another political allottee, an NCP legislator from Thane, Jitendra Awhad, has shown a monthly income of Rs 25,000. Former bureaucrat and NCP’s Member of Parliament Shrinivas Patil claimed to be earning just Rs 12,500 a month, when an MP’s telephone allowance is more than that.

Interestingly, all these claims on monthly income have been made on affidavits sworn by the signatories as being truthful.The income criteria was later relaxed by the state government to accommodate other members. These income details are now under the scrutiny of the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has launched a full-scale investigation into the scam.