NCP leader Jayant Patil accuses Chandrakant Patil of irregularities in land deals

NCP leader Jayant Patil accused Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil of ensuring that private builders made a killing in two cases pertaining to land in Pune.

Patil, a legislator from Sangli district, was speaking to the media on sidelines of the state legislature session on Wednesday. He demanded that charges against Chandrakant, be probed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and till the time this was done, he should step down from his post. However, Chandrakantdada denied these allegations.

Patil made two allegations against Chandrakant —

In one of the two allegations against Chandrakant, he alleged that in Haveli taluka of Pune district, a devasthan land was illegally transferred without any "nazrana" (premium fee) being levied, causing a loss to the state exchequer. This was done by overruling the rulings of officials including the divisional commissioner of Pune. The state exchequer even faced a loss of Rs 42 crore, he alleged

In the second case, Chandrakant has been accused of facilitating a builder who allegedly encroached on land reserved for a playground in connivance with land records officials.

Patil said in November 1861, the then British government had given 23.22 gunthas of land at Kesnand in Pune's Haveli taluka to the Mhatoba Devasthan as 'devasthan inam land-III' (a class of lands given to temples).

"There were repeated attempts to alienate the land... for five to six times, government officials ruled it to be inam land class III," said Patil, adding that a trustee of the Devasthan had given it to a Punjab-based religious trust on lease for nine-and-half years. In 1998, a power of attorney holder of this Devasthan trustee, sold it to the religious trust.

The religious trust in turn, appealed to the divisional commissioner, Pune, to regularise the transaction. In 2008, the commissioner ruled that the transaction could be regularised on payment of the nazrana as per the rules.

Subsequently, the religious trust appealed to the minister, who ruled this was private, and not inam land class III, and nazrana was not to be paid on the sale. "The land was sold to a builder for Rs 84 crore. This plot was converted to non-agriculture land, and is being sold at Rs 15 to 20 lakh per guntha (one acre equals 40 gunthas)," charged Patil.

In the second case, Patil said a builder had, in connivance with a land record official, ensured that a plot reserved for a playground, was taken over for a building project. This was after the official gave a measurement report, including the playground in the area of the plot. After an outcry, when the official was asked for an explanation by her seniors, she admitted that a mistake had been committed. Patil said the letter by this official was stayed by Chandrakantdada in an act beyond his ambit.

However, Chandrakant, who spoke to the media later, attributed Patil's allegations to political reverses faced by him.

Chandrakant said that in 1885, the British had created a register of inam lands given to religious places. "Lands contained in this register are considered to be class-III inam lands... An appeal was made to me and I checked this register. Since the land was not recorded in the register, this is private land and no royalty is payable on the sale of this land," claimed Chandrakantdada.

"This is a quasi judicial decision, hence, the concerned parties must approach the High Court. Jayantrao (Patil) cannot since he is not a party to the case," he said. "We have our own authority," Chandrakant averred when asked if the government will take any action against officers who had ruled this was inam land.

In the second case, Chandrakant said he had not given any decision on the appeal, but merely changed the inquiry officer. The officer would submit a probe report to the settlement commissioner, who would take a decision on it.

Allegations

• According to Patil, in Haveli taluka of Pune district, a devasthan land was illegally transferred without “nazrana” being levied
• In anothe case, the NCP leader accused the minister of favouring a builder over a land at Balewadi in Pune