The state information commission (SIC) in an order has directed the public information officer (PIO), public works department (PWD) to submit a notarised affidavit that architect Shirish Sukhatme's valuation report was scrutinised and examined by them before giving permission to anti-corruption bureau (ACB) to file case for probe in relation to Maharashtra Sadan Scam. Sukhatme had given valuation report of Andheri RTO plot where an SRA scheme was to come up. The SRA scheme was to come up as an offset of sorts to contractors who were given work of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi without inviting tenders. Sukhatme's report was among the reasons that an FIR was filed against Chhagan Bhujbal, officials and others. As per Sukhatme's report, the Andheri plot was grossly undervalued while giving it to contractors leading to loss of money to the government. State chief information commissioner, Sumit Mullick directed the PWD to give the affidavit in seven days of receiving the order. The order was passed on an RTI application filed by Prasanna Chamankar, an accused in Maharashtra Sadan scam. Chamankar in his application had sought details of scrutiny done by PWD of the documents given by ACB for seeking sanction to probe government officer Anil Gaikwad and scrutiny and examination done by them of the report of Sukhatme. While PWD provided details of the first, for the latter it said that it did not have Sukhatme's report and hence no question of secretary, PWD doing scrutiny and examining it. "The report was of a private architect. The government should ideally look through the correctness of the report before deciding on it. How can sanction be given to ACB before that? I wanted to know what scrutiny and examination have they done. They were misguiding the commission about the report. After denying that they had report, they sent me a copy of it. That copy was from chargesheet and not something they possessed. They denied giving scrutiny details stating that the case is still being investigated and hence exempted under RTI. They have not mentioned how case will be affected," claimed Chamankar. The commission ordered the PIO to file a notarised affidavit that Sukhatme's report was considered by the department before giving their go-ahead to ACB.

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