MUMBAI: In fresh embarrassment for chief minister Devendra Fadnavis , the crisis-ridden public works department (PWD) led by senior BJP member Chandrakant Patil is understood to have given a clean chit to his predecessor, NCP member Chhagan Bhujbal, in the Maharashtra Sadan scam.

In a 32-page first information report, the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) had alleged that Bhujbal had taken undue interest in merging two independent slum redevelopment schemes for the benefit of Chamankar Enterprises, deliberately ignored critical observations of the finance and home department and secured huge funds in the name of the trust headed by him for his family members.

In lieu of the government plot, Chamankar was to construct Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, an RTO building in Andheri and High Mount guesthouse in Malabar Hill.

PWD deputy secretary Rajeev Gaikwad had a week ago submitted a report to the ACB stating there was no irregularity or violation of rules at any stage of awarding the contract.

The report was submitted without the knowledge of Patil or PWD additional chief secretary Anand Kulkarni. Fadnavis confirmed to TOI that the government was in the dark about the PWD’s report to the ACB. I have spoken to both, and they have not signed any such report, Fadnavis said.

A month ago, Fadnavis was furious when he found that the main accused in the Balganga irrigation project scam were released on bail following the ACB’s failure to file a chargesheet within the stipulated period.

A senior bureaucrat said that the government will probe how the report was submitted to the ACB without the knowledge of Patil and Kulkarni.

After taking over as CM last year, Fadnavis had on December 12 granted permission to the ACB to conduct an open inquiry against Bhujbal.

The ACB report had alleged that Bhujbal had taken undue interest in merging two independent slum redevelopment schemes for the benefit of Chamankar Enterprises