Opposition takes on govt over Dadar land deal

The opposition rocked the state assembly on Friday alleging a Rs500-crore scam in the transfer of a plot of land belonging to the government.

The plot at Dadar, originally owned by the food and civil supplies department, was sold to Bombay Dyeing for Rs14 crore.

Leader of the opposition Eknath Khadse raised the issue and demanded an inquiry into the alleged scam. Food and civil supplies minister Anil Deshmukh issued a statement assuring detailed information would be gathered in the case.

However, opposition members kept demanding an inquiry and later entered the well of the house shouting slogans against the government. 

Deputy speaker Madhukar Chavan had to adjourn the house on five occasions as the opposition remained firm on its demand. When Chavan tried to rush through the agenda, the Sena-BJP staged a walkout.

Khadse alleged the land, used as a godown, was sold by the government for just Rs14 crore while its market price is more than Rs500 crore.

“The land that was in the custody of the government had been handed over to Bombay Dyeing at minimal cost. The government should find out whose vested interests were involved in the dubious deal,” he said. 

Deshmukh said that the decision of handing over the land on lease was taken in March 1995 by Shobhatai Fadnavis, a minister in the Sena-BJP government, but it was later stayed. “In July 2006, the decision was taken for the second time.”