The comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India in its report tabled in the Vidhan Sabha in Nagpur on Friday came down heavily on the state government over the Adarsh cooperative housing society scam.

It said although many dignitaries and the media have demanded that the building be demolished, such a move will only compound the problem. Instead, it suggested, the building should be acquired by the government and used for “government housing”, of which there is a massive shortage in Mumbai. Deserving former servicemen and war widows, of which there are less than half-a-dozen, could be allotted apartments in it, it said.

The CAG said the scam showed how select officials in key posts could subvert rules and regulations to grab prime government land for personal benefit. It said the decision on the entire process, right from obtaining a no-objection certificate from the army, modification of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority development plan to raising the building’s height, was taken by exploiting the official capacity for personal benefit.

It said in the process of acquiring clearances, letters from the state and central governments liberally used phrases such as “members who are from the armed forces and serving the motherland”, “reward for heroes of Kargil operations who bravely fought at Kargil and protected our motherland”, “welfare of widows of servicemen”, while seeking relaxations in favour of the society as a ruse to grab the plot. The CAG said serving widows could never have been the intention of the officials, as such individuals could never have afforded an apartment in Adarsh.