On Saturday, the Maharashtra Home Ministry, headed by RR Patil, gave permission to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for an open inquiry against state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sunil Tatkare for their alleged role in the multi-crore-irrigation scam. Sources, however, said that the home ministry’s clearance has no value and the proposal will now go to the chief secretary and chief minister where, in all likelihood, it will be declined.

Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare were water resource ministers between 1999 and 2009, when the multi-crore scam took place