MUMBAI: Former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar , under investigation for the mega irrigation scam , will not need to visit the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Worli office to respond to uncomfortable questions. He can submit his responses to the ACB’s lengthy questionnaire in writing.

Confirming this unexpected favour from the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government, a high-ranking IPS officer on Wednesday told TOI that at least for the time being, ACB has dropped the plan to summon him. “Nothing wrong with such a decision. So far, he is not an accused; as such we cannot compel him to remain present in the ACB office. If he does not respond to the questionnaire, we will assume he has no comments to offer and proceed as per procedure laid down under the ACB manual,” he said.

The ACB had summoned Pawar in the second week of May to seek information on the allegations against him. Pawar did not respond to the summons. Later he said he was out of the state and it will not be possible for him to visit the ACB office.

A high-level special investigation team is probing the irrigation scam allegedly involving Pawar and state NCP president Sunil Tatkare, who was the water resources minister in the earlier government, and the Maharashtra Sadan scam, involving senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal. The ACB has recorded the statement of Bhujbal, his son Pankaj and nephew Samir.

When complaints demanding a probe into the scam came up for hearing by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court late last year, advocate general Sunil Manohar told the court CM Fadnavis has approved a proposal for conducting an open inquiry against Pawar, Tatkare and Bhujbal.

Subsequently, water resources minister Girish Mahajan entrusted the probe into the Kondhane, Kalu and Balganga projects under the Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation to the ACB. All relevant documents pertaining to these projects were handed over to ACB director Pravin Dixit.

Activist Anjali Damania had contended in her complaint that there was largescale corruption in allotment of contracts for these three projects. Besides unprecedented cost escalation, technical designs of the projects were not approved and the environment department did not clear the projects.

She said in a brief span of less than a year, the cost of the Kondhane project increased from Rs 56 crore to Rs 614 crore, Kalu project from Rs 382 crore to Rs 700 crore and that of Balganga project from Rs 414 crore to Rs 1,600 crore.