Irrigation 'scam' whistle blower seeks VRS

City-based irrigation department whistle blower Vijay Pandhare, who blew the lid off alleged irregularities in various projects across Maharashtra, has sought voluntary retirement from service.

Pandhare, who is the chief engineer at Maharashtra Engineering Training Academy, was supposed to retire on November 30, 2013.

"I have sent my application to water resource secretary requesting him to relieve me from the service," Pandhare told reporters on Wednesday evening.

He attributed 'personal reasons' for quitting the service prematurely. Pandhare, who had earlier this year written to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and top bureaucrats alleging a massive scam in dud irrigation projects in the past decade, said there was no pressure on him to quit the service.

"There is no pressure on me either from government or from anybody else. I am taking retirement for my personal reasons. After retirement, I will go to my village in Buldhana district and engage myself in spiritual pursuit. I will also spread awareness about irrigation in rural sector of the state," he said.

In his letter to Chavan, Pandhare had highlighted alleged irregularities surrounding various irrigation projects in the state.

Pandhare, who is a member of the state-level technical advisory committee, wrote a stinging 15-page note to the state government, blaming the politician-officer-contractor nexus for the illegalities.

Pandhare has served on various posts in his 32 years of service so far and had been transferred 16 times.