Probe assured in CIDCO land allotment scam

It was revealed in the State Assembly on Tuesday that despite a 2013 state CID report, there has been no action in irregularities in land allotment by CIDCO. Minister of state for Urban Development Dr Ranjit Patil assured the House that an inquiry would be conducted in the delay.

Shiv Sena MLA and Former Mumbai Mayor Sunil Prabhu, during the question hour on this issue, had asked whether it was true that the sale of a particular plot was not brought to the notice of the Dr DK Shankaran committee, which conducted an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the sale of plots by CIDCO. Prabhu also asked whether the said plot, worth Rs 20 crore, was sold at just Rs 4 crore, thereby incurring a huge loss of Rs 16 crore to CIDCO by its then marketing manager.

Patil said that the plot was allotted and sold via the regular process to Venus Cooperative Housing Society, and there was no need for an inquiry. He added that out of a total of 83 cases, the Shankaran committee had found irregularities in 50 cases. However, the Minister admitted that even after a report by the state CID in 2013, why there was no action would be looked into. He assured the House that his department would conduct an inquiry into this delay.