New Delhi (ANI) The Supreme Court on Thursday declined Maharashtra government’s request to close the case relating to alleged political corruption in the Enron-Dabhol power project. It was reported that the then bidders of the project, Enron, had paid money to politicians and bureaucrats to clinch the deal.
Enron had pulled out of the Dabhol power plant and gone bankrupt. following which, the plant was shut down in 2001. Later, appeals were filed in the Supreme Court for restarting the plant. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi revived a petition pending since 2001 and directed the Maharashtra government to inform it by March 13 on how the case could be taken to a logical conclusion.
The court asked Maharashtra government to apprise it about the steps taken after five-member Energy Review Committee headed by Madhav Godbole recommended probe into corruption by top politicians and bureaucrats in Dabhol power plant.
Godbole report filed in 2001 was critical of former Chief Minister Sharad Pawar (who was with the Congress then), the 13-day BJP-led Central government which reworked the Dabhol power plant deal in 1995, then Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and his government in Maharashtra headed by Manohar Joshi.
The committee had said there were allegations of money being paid by Enron to politicians and bureaucrats for clinching the deal.
In July 1992, Enron signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Maharashtra State Electricity Board to set up a 2,550 MW station. (ANI)