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CAG will nail govt lies on Lavasa, says BJP

BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis on Monday alleged that the yet-to-be-tabled CAG report has slammed the state government for showing undue favours to the Lavasa project in Pune.

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BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis on Monday alleged that the yet-to-be-tabled Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has slammed the state government for showing undue favours to the Lavasa project in Pune. He claimed that the land in question was given away against public interest and for a pittance. 

The state, however, insisted that the allotment was in compliance with the existing hill station policy of the government.

Fadnavis alleged that the state government did not follow the high court guidelines issued during the Bhaskar Pillai versus Kerala government case years ago. According to the guidelines, a plot outside a land under water cannot be permitted to be allotted for any project other than one in public interest. In spite of this ruling, Fadnavis said, hectares of land were allotted to the Lavasa Corporation. He said the land was given out on a Rs2.75-lakh annual lease, and commercial constructions and setting up of five-star hotels by Lavasa were in gross violation of the norms.

Water resources (Krishna Valley Irrigation Corporation) department minister Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar rubbished the allegations and said the allotment  was as per government policy.

“The land has been given to the company on a 30-year lease and as per rules laid down by the Krishan Valley Irrigation Corporation,” he said.

The minister, however, refused to divulge more details as the issue is sub-judice. He was replying to the budgetary debate of his department in Assembly on Monday.

On the grim water situation in the state, the government said the water stock in the reservoirs had gone down to 31% on Monday, against 46% on the same date last year.

Replying to the budgetary allocation for the irrigation department, minister of the department, Sunil Tatkare, told the assembly that the water stock situation looked grim. He said Marathwada is the most affected region; the availability of water went down to 10% on Monday. Contrast this with the 49% stock on the same day last year. 

He, however, assured that adequate drinking water will be provided across the state.

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