After news about the missing file broke, he claimed that "too much" should not be read into the development and that his Ministry had "reconstructed" the correspondence with the Maharashtra government that was supposed to be contained in the file. "In November 2002, we received a query from Maharashtra Urban Development Department about reducing the width of a road to accommodate a cooperative housing society called Adarsh.
The File Register with us shows that a new file was opened," Ramesh said in a statement here. He said the officials tried to find the file when the story on the housing society scam broke out last year and "the search continues." While seeking to downplay the incident, he said, "We have more than 10,000 files, a few in the record room and others bundled in various rooms and corridors. This file was not a permanent file, unlike files from where we give environment or CRZ clearances or handle court cases, and was liable to be weeded out."
Ramesh's reaction came after the CBI officials probing the Adrash Housing Society scam said in Mumbai that files which include letters issued by the Environment Ministry to the state government regarding Coastal Regulation Zone norms, and asking the society to approach the appropriate state government department for clearance, have gone missing. Read the full report here.
Source: Hindustan Times, New Delhi.Â
