Citing CAG report, Maharashtra Oppn alleges land scam run by 10 ministers

Claiming that they had accessed the state Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report that is yet to be tabled in the state legislature, Opposition members on Wednesday said 10 senior ministers of the state government had been beneficiaries of undue government largesse in land allotments.

BJP's Devendra Phadanvis handed over a CD reportedly containing the report to Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil and sought a ruling from him.

The Opposition said politicians who have found their institutions named in the report are mainly education barons. Among them is a Mumbai-based trust run by a senior NCP leader that was allotted 50,000 sq m in Nashik in January 2009 on occupancy rights for Rs 7.53 lakh. In 2003, the trust was already allotted 41,300 sq m at the same location at occupancy price of Rs 1.55 lakh. The alleged report says the land was initially reserved for mining and the reservation was changed to education purpose after being sought by the trust in 2000 for an engineering college.

Stating that there was "conflict of interest" in the allotment of this land, the alleged report says scrutiny showed the Finance Department had objected to the second allocation at concessional rates in November 2008. If land was to be allotted, it would be at the market rate of 2008, the Finance Department had observed. "The total market value of this land is Rs 9.39 crore (as per ready reckoner 2008) which has been given... at Rs 9.08 lakh," it says.

That's not all. The land remained unutilised during a June 2011 panchnama.

The alleged report also mentions land allotted in 2005 to a charitable trust whose patron is a powerful Congress leader. A 23,840-sq m plot in Borivali, Mumbai, was allotted at concessional rate on occupancy rights to the trust for opening a dental college. The trust was to be charged 50 per cent of the market rate prevailing five years prior to allotment, as per rules. The trust paid Rs 6.56 crore and took possession of the land in 2006.

... contd.

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