Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan today filed his affidavit in the Adarsh housing society scam, basically stating that he has "done nothing wrong' in the matter.

Toral Varia, who has joined rediff.com today, outlines what Chavan has stated in his affidavit: 

Allotment of lands belonging to the state of Maharashtra by the government to cooperative housing societies, at the time when I was revenue minister, was governed by Government Resolution dated 9th July 1999.

All the procedural and administrative compliance are looked into and examined by bureaucrats of the concerned departments.

The membership eligibility was approved by the government in July/August 2004 and subsequently this authority was delegated to the collector in September, 2004.

Some time in February 2000, the Adarsh  Cooperative Housing Society made a representation to the then chief minister for allotment and same was marked to the principal secretary (revenue) by the then chief minister with a remark to put up the proposal.

In early June 2000 representation of the society met me as revenue minister and urged me to consider the allotment. I heard the representatives and requested the revenue department to seek the necessary information and clarifications. This is recorded in a file note of the meeting prepared by the deputy secretary.

I say that there was no question of my suggesting that civilian members be included in the society and any suggestion that this was discussed with me or that I had suggested or directed or decided on the same is false and denied.

In the meeting I had asked the department only to look into the issue relating to the allotment of the land and call for the required information in respect thereof.

No decision was taken at that meeting.

Based on the discussions in the meeting of early June 2000, the deputy secretary, revenue department addressed a letter dated 5th June 2000 to the collector requesting him to furnish information inter alia, in respect of the land, eligibility of members.

The file came back to me only some time in the end of july 2002, that is nearly two years after the aforementioned meeting.

Principal secretary (revenue) put up a note recommending the issue a letter of intent