JOIN USEven a daily wager owns a flat in Adarsh society
A few days ago he and other residents of Chandrapur got the shock of their life when it was revealed that one flat in the controversial Adarsh Housing Society of Mumbai costing Rs 78 lakh is owned by Suresh Atram.
"I never visited Mumbai in my lifetime. Whatever of Mumbai I saw was in films and on television. And I never earned this kind of money in my 42 years of life," a stunned Atram told mediapersons, who were searching for him for the past few days.
The electoral rolls showed three Suresh Atrams, two in Yavatmal and one in Chandrapur. The address and name of the Adarsh flat owner tallied with Suresh Atram of Chandrapur and it sent shockwaves in that remote city. Atram denied owning the apartment in Adarsh Society. "I don't even know where Mumbai is, I never visited that city, how can I own a flat there," he asked. And he was truthful in his denial.
Then how come his name and address tallied with that of the Adarsh flat owner?
"I have submitted my address proof like ration card and other documents at various places for applying jobs, as well as for obtaining mobile phone. It appears that someone must have misused those documents to purchase the flat (in Adarsh) in my name," he reasons.
That is plausible, given that many like Adarsh are “benami” transactions, in which politicians of all hues have expertise. Chandrapur district itself has several heavyweight politicians from the Congress and the BJP, and it would not be out of mark to surmise that someone from these politicians must have been involved in the transaction.
No political affiliations
Atram himself denies association with any political party. Inquiries with political parties vindicated that claim. Atram says he had gone to Ayodhya during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement but came back mid-way. The BJP circles denied any acquaintance with him.
The shocking revelation has added one more chapter to the sordid saga of Adarsh scam, in which high ranking Army officers, defence officials, state politicians and bureaucrats cornered flats meant for Kargil war heroes and their widows.
The scam cost Ashok Chavan the chief ministership of the state, while the CBI is investigating the role of Army and defence officials.
Meanwhile, the scam-ridden Society has finally moved the Bombay High Court challenging the disconnection of electricity to and the revocation of the occupation certificate of the 31-storey residential tower at Colaba.
In its 216-page petition, the Society says that it received two notices from authorities about disconnection of power supply and revocation of the occupation certificate.
The petition says the action was taken "without offering any hearing" to the Society, thus violating principles of natural justice. It also claimed that the construction of the building was perfectly legal.
It says "all relevant approvals were received, including CRZ clearance" and "no law" was violated while constructing the building. The petition also contends that the permission from the ministry of environment and forests was not needed and the land on which the building stands belonged to the state government and not the Army.