Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel's daughter's partners got over 90% discount on 422 acres land

Business partners of Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel's daughter Anar received 422 acres of land in 2010 at Rs 15 per square metre from the state government, reports a leading English daily.

The partners Dakshesh Shah and Amol Sheth got a huge discount of 91.6% to the government stamp duty rate of Rs 180 per square metre for their Wildwood resort. A cow protection outfit Muralidhar Gau Seva Trust had applied for land in the same region Amreli near Gir forest.

But it was offered land at Rs 190, a price higher than the stamp duty for the plot. Both proposals were being looked by a state government committee at the same meeting.

The Gujarat government's spokesperson said that the administration had followed the due process. The official also explained the huge difference in the  government's stamp duty rate and the rate at which Wildwoods was sold the land. "The jantri rate is a ready reckoner but it isn't the market rate. While evaluating the price of land, the jantri rate is just one input. Many other factors such as the proximity to roads, development, etc, also come into play. Land price is determined at market rate and not the jantri rate," he said. 

He also said that there was no political pressure on the officers dealing with the proposals. He also added it was handled at the secretary level and did not reach Anandiben who was the state Revenue minister at that time.

"The committee of secretaries met twice to validate the price. The chief town planner had suggested a price of Rs 15/sq metre for 16 hectares of land and Rs 6/sq metre for the remainder, which the committee enhanced to Rs 15," the official spokesperson said. 

The cow protection organisation did not have this experience.

The official also said that the reason the cow protection group was offered a higher rate than the stamp duty rate was because the land sought by the outfit was 30km from the land given to Wildwoods.