A recently-leaked CAG report has made many observations with respect to irregularities in the allotment of lands in favour of ministers, their kin and trusts they are associated with at causing a loss of crores of rupees of state revenue. One such example is the 41,300 square metre of land allotted to PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s Mumbai Education Trust (MET) in 2003 at a throwaway price of `1.55 core.
Also, the minister’s nephew and member of Parliament Sameer Bhujbal had demanded a plot measuring 91,300 square metre at Nashik which had valuable mineral deposits. As the allotment was not as per rules, the finance secretary objected to it. However, in 2009, 50,000 square metre of the same land worth `9.39 crore was finally sold to the Bhujbals for paltry sum of `9.08 lakh.
Industry minister Narayan Rane’s involvement in illegal land at Andheri, Mumbai, which was usurped by his Sindudurg Prasarak Mandal headed by his wife has not come up for hearing in the high court for some time. However, the CAG report has stated that the allotment of prime land measuring 1,719 square metre was taken on lease stating the purpose to be an education trust. Instead, it was used to build the Grand Imperial Backbay hotel, which earns nothing less than `2 lakh per day.
Former CM and Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, already facing trouble in the Adarsh scam and the Whistling Woods scandal, has also figured in the Manjara Education Trust scam.
While there were four applicants on September 28, 2005, the then CM Vilasrao Deshmukh allotted the land worth `30 crore at Borivali to his own Manjara Education Trust for one-fifth the amount at `6 crore. So far there has been no construction on the land.
As per the mandatory condition, if the land is not used for the purpose for which it was allotted in two years, it should be returned to the government. However, this condition was ignored in the contract itself.
Another irregularity pointed out by the CAG is of a plot of 5,396 square metre in Pune, which was allotted to a college belonging to the Vikhe-Patil Foundation. While the cost of the land was `91 lakh, it was sold to the foundation for a mere `17 lakh.
Another piece of land measuring 29,540 square metre at Haveli, Pune was allotted to the Marathwada Mitramandal at a paltry price of `4,802 for the construction of a primary school and a hostel. But the trust came up with an engineering and MBA college on the land. The report went on to add that the Vasantdada Patil Pratishtan has outstanding dues worth `17.30 crore.