Fadnavis made it clear that it was after the pro-active action on the part of Mumbai police that nine persons were arrested for selling bogus stamp papers.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had a surprise supporter in former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday, who demanded that the call attention motion on bogus stamps should be reserved, since serious issues were raised pertaining to the infamous Telgi bogus stamp paper scam.
Fadnavis made it clear that it was after the pro-active action on the part of Mumbai police that nine persons were arrested for selling bogus stamp papers.
The call attention motion moved by Sardar Tara Singh and Yogesh Sagar attracted House's notice towards the gang selling bogus stamp papers. Singh pointed out that bogus stamp papers were brought from Bhandara, Beed and Satara, and then sold by changing their numbers. Sagar said when thousands of stamps were issued to a single person from one district of Bhandara, the government should have inquired in to the matter.
Both Singh and Sagar pointed out that such bogus stamps were used in huge numbers in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mumbai districts. They questioned as to whether the government inquired in to details, such as who sold these stamp papers and to whom they were sold in return.
Taking into account the growing demand for old stamp papers in Thane district, the MLAs said thousands of stamp papers were being sold to people in Thane and adjoining areas with connivance of the government officials from various departments.
Chief minister Fadnavis then informed that the Mumbai police had pro-actively done the investigation and arrested the nine persons concerned on March 5, 2016. He informed that the government has started an e-payment system for transactions of Rs3,000 and above. He informed that the department was in the process of developing devices for transactions of amounts smaller than Rs3,000.
Meanwhile, MLA Anil Gote pointed out that 70 per cent of the stamp papers seized at Bhivandi by the police from infamous Abdul Kareen Laadsaab Telgi were not bogus, and questioned as to whether an inquiry was conducted in to the sudden release of the then general manager of the securities press, Gangprasad. Gote also alleged that stamp papers worth a huge amount were seized from the then home minister and questioned whether there was any inquiry in to the same.
Fadnavis said since the call attention was about the recent arrest and seizing of stamp papers from three districts, Gote's question was out of the purview of the motion and he would provide a reply to him after gathering more information.
On the CM's reply, Chavan demanded keeping the call attention motion reserved and said that since Gote had raised a very serious issue and since Fadnavis has assured to come back with necessary information, the motion should be kept reserved. The chair disallowed it, after Chavan's sudden demand stunned the Opposition benches, evoking laughter from the Treasury benches.
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 "Prithviraj Chavan")
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