Targeting NCP supremo and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra’s “massive irrigation scam”, lawyer-activist and former IPS officer Y.P. Singh on Thursday alleged Ajit Pawar had allotted 348 acres of irrigation project land to Lavasa “almost free of cost”. Mr Singh also said India Against Corruption’s Arvind Kejriwal was aware of this, but had chosen to be silent.
Accusing Mr Kejriwal of “concealing the major Lavasa scam in Maharashtra”, while exposing a “small and frivolous” scam involving BJP president Nitin Gadkari, the IPS officer said this was in keeping with Mr Kejriwal’s political objectives.
“First, he (Kejriwal) targeted the Congress, and now the BJP. He ignored Lavasa, as the NCP does not have much standing in Delhi,” Mr Singh alleged.
The former police officer accused agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, former Maharashtra irrigation minister Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule of breaking the law to acquire 348 acres of government land for Lavasa. “Ajit Pawar misused his powers and gave the land to what was then Lake City Corporation, later named Lavasa, at a negligible rent of Rs 23,000 per month for a long lease of 30 years. As per the Supreme Court, any acquired land not required by a public authority has to be disposed of through an auction,” Mr Singh noted.
He alleged Ms Sule and her husband Sadanand Sule held a 20 per cent stake (10 per cent each) in the firm. “They sold their shares in Lavasa in 2006. Less than two years later, Axis Bank valued Lavasa Corporation at Rs 10,000 crores. This means the value of Ms Sule’s shares in the company was Rs 100 crores, but Ms Sule’s election affidavit in 2009 shows her wealth to be only Rs 15 crores,” he said.
Refuting these allegations, Mr Sharad Pawar said: “The state government has the authority to give land as per the hill station policy. Eighty per cent of 300 acres of land is submerged in water, and there has been no construction.” He admitted his daughter and son-in-law had shares in Lavasa, but they sold their stake in 2005-06 when there was a controversy.
IAC said in response to Mr Singh’s allegation: “IAC too was in possession of documents presented by Singh. We had highlighted this issue at a press conference and also uploaded it on our website... Of the 15 ministers whom we demanded an inquiry against, one is Sharad Pawar.”