New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) India's former military commanders and sections of the political leadership and bureaucracy have come in for sharp criticism from the government's chief auditor for usurping public land to construct the Adarsh housing society in Mumbai's upscale Colaba area for "personal aggrandisement".
Among those named in the CAG report tabled in parliament Tuesday are former army chiefs General N.C. Vij and General Deepak Kapoor, former navy chief Admiral Madhevendra Singh, and former navy vice-chief Vice-Admiral R.P.Suthan.
"It is a classic example of fence eating the crops; of those holding fiduciary responsibility betraying the same for personal aggrandisement," the 51-page CAG report on Adarsh Housing Society scam said.
"It reflects a consistent failure across all departments, state and central governments and across sections of officialdom," the report said.
"This case would have perhaps no parallel anywhere else in the country where all concerned agencies have pooled the strengths not for a common national cause but for personal benefits," it said, slamming the defence ministry, the Maharashtra government and the environment ministry.
The Adarsh housing society scam had led to the resignation of Ashok Chavan as Maharashtra chief minister last year.