Maharashtra’s Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde on Wednesday rejected outright the Opposition’s demand for her resignation over the alleged Anganwadi procurement scam, by saying that the allegations against her were a mere “scam of words”, they lacked credibility and that there was no need for her to take them seriously.
Putting up a spirited defence in the face of a growing clamour for her resignation over the alleged Rs 206 crore scam, Pankaja sought to turn the tables on the Opposition, by claiming that the previous Congress-NCP Government had purchased materials worth Rs 408 crore without floating e-tenders.
“The previous Government had purchased materials worth Rs 408 crore in a similar manner as we have done. They (the Congress and NCP) are now saying that there is a scam in purchase of materials by my Ministry. Going by the same logic, I can also say that there was a Rs 408 scam in the previous Government,” Pankaja said.
Denying that she had indulged in any wrong doing, Pankaja said: “I am prepared to face any kind of inquiry into the allegations against me. If it is proved that I have embezzled even one rupee, then I will quit all the posts I hold.... All the allegations made against me all politically motivated. The scam I am being accused of being involved in is more of a scam of words than anything else. The baseless allegations are being made against me simply to malign me”.
Asked as to why she was not putting in her papers to facilitate an impartial probe — keeping in view veteran BJP leader l K Advani’s statement that politicians facing serious allegations should quit their posts respectfully keeping in view “political credibility”, Pankaja said: “lK Advani spoke about credibility in politics. I also demand credibility in politics. Credibility should not be limited to only (matters relating to) the ruling party. The credibility factor should also apply to the Opposition. If the allegations have been against me with credibility, then I will answer the same way. If the Opposition makes incredible allegations against me, then I do not want to be victimised by such wild allegations. I will do whatever my party leaders want me to do. let that be anything”.
Pankaja said that while making purchase of chikki and other material for children in Adivasi schools under contract system, her Ministry had not brought in or awarded any contract to a new contractor
Denying the allegations that the chikki purchased by her Ministry were of “sub-standard” quality, “Quality-wise, the chikki purchased by us are not bad at all. In fact, we have a report with us that says that the chikki purchased by is of a good quality. Still, if we receive complaints about the quality of the product, we will initiate action against the contractor concerned,” she said.
“We had the chikkis (purchased by us) tested in two laboratories and found them to be of good quality,” said the BJP Minister, while responding to a query. Responding to queries on why her Ministry had not floated e-tenders for purchase of material, she said: “The e-tender stipulation for purchase of material worth more than Rs 1 crore came into effect only in April this year, where as we purchased material in the month of February and March. Henceforth when we purchase new material, we will comply with the e-tender stipulation.... There is also no truth in the allegation that my department has purchased material at rates above the ones prevailing in market”.
Asked as to why senior BJP Ministers were not present at her news conference as was case with another “tainted” Minister Vinod Tawde’s media briefing on Tuesday, Pankaja said that the party’s two senior Ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar and Chandrakant Patil could not make it as they had prior engagement.
“The CM and my party Ministers are behind me and I have support of lakhs and crores of people,” she said.
State Housing Minister Prakash Mehta made it Pankaja’s news conference long after it had begun. Rashtriya Samaj Paksh leader Mahadev Jankar, and Pankaja’s sister and BJP MP Preetam Munde were also present at the news conference.
On his part, the Chief Minister had said on Friday last that his Government was prepared to order an inquiry into the alleged procurement scam involving Pankaja, if the Opposition came up with evidence that she violated norms in awarding the contracts worth Rs 206 crore.