Adarsh scam: Maharashtra rights panel member resigns

MUMBAI - Subhash Lalla, Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) member and former secretary to the then chief minister, Monday tendered his resignation to Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, maintaining that he had no role or financial involvement in the purchase of flats in the controversial Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society.

The governor accepted the resignation of Lalla with immediate effect.

“No guilt or wrongdoing on my part, resignation only to maintain dignity of the MSHRC,” Lalla said in his resignation letter.

He said he was also resigning to avoid further embarrassment to the government or himself.

“My father late Shaligram Lalla, who worked in Military Engineering Services, retired in Kamptee Cantonment (Nagpur district) and continued to stay there during his post-retirement period,” Lalla said.

“R.C. Thakur, the chief promoter of Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society during his earlier period of service was posted at Kamptee Cantonment and used to share the same bungalow (48, The Mall, Kamptee) in which my father was staying and they came in contact as neighbours. Because of this good social relationship between them, my father was taken as a member of the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society which was originally meant for defence and defence allied personnel and their families.”

“On the sad demise of my father, the membership was given to his wife (my mother) Shrimati Sushila Shaligram and also his grand-daughter (my daughter) was inducted as a member as there were some vacancies available during that initial period of society formation because of relation with defence personnel. My mother has been a member of this society since July 1998 and my daughter since April 1999,” Lalla said.

Lalla also said the he was posted at Mantralaya - the state secretariat - for the first time only in mid-2000 as a secretary to the social justice department and to Chief Minister’s Office in 2004.

“Hence it may kindly be seen that membership of my relatives is much prior to my coming to the Mantralaya,” Lalla said.

He said that though the MSHRC has nothing to do with Adarsh, for the dignity of the organisation he should keep Adarsh away from it.

“While it is quite a painful and difficult decision for me, however, in the best interest of the institution and to avoid any further embarrassment to me or the government, I wish to resign voluntarily from the post of member, Maharashtra State Human Right Commission, with immediate effect,” he said.