Nashik:
Vijay Pandhare, chief engineer in Maharashtra's irrigation department, has been given police protection for serving as a whistle-blower.
Mr Pandhare had in writing tipped off Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to massive financial irregularities in the irrigation department. Ajit Pawar, Mr Chavan's deputy, quit on Tuesday over allegations that placed him at the heart of the swindle. Mr Pawar belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party or NCP which has governed Maharashtra for 13 years in partnership with the Congress.
Mr Pawar served as Water Resources Minister from 1999 to 2009. The state's last economic survey said that against an expenditure of 40,000 cores, an additional 0.1% of land had been brought under irrigation.
Mr Pandhare had written to Governor K Sankaranarayanan and
Mr Chavan, drawing their attention to the "poor quality" of irrigation projects, inflated budget and irregularities in purchase of materials.
"I have drawn the government's attention to violation of norms and pointed out faults in the projects," Mr Pandhare, a member of the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute and chief of Maharashtra Engineering Training Academy, said.
Meanwhile, supporters of social activist Anna Hazare have backed Mr Pandhare and assured him of their cooperation.