BJP MP in Gujarat got his plots converted into non-agricultural land to claim higher compensation: Congress

This comes around a week after the police registered a non-cognizable offence against Thummar following a complaint filed by a local BJP office-bearer, alleging that the Congress leader had made defamatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kachhadiya had come down heavily on Thummar after the latter’s remarks on December 22. Following this, Thummar had claimed that Kachhadiya threatened him. He also filed a police complaint against Kachhadiya and sought police protection for himself.

Quoting from documents obtained by Nathalal Sukhadiya, an Amreli-based RTI activist, Thummar said that Kachhadiya – who is serving his third consecutive term as Amreli MP – got two plots converted into NA when the NHAI was about to initiate the process of acquiring land for widening NH 351.

“NHAI had announced its intention to widen the highway some time ago and had started surveying land for the project. The MP was aware of it. He also apparently had advance information about NHAI’s notification dated November 22, 2023. He secured the NA order from Amreli collector and got 5,000 sq m out of the 9,133 sq m land in Charkhadiya village converted. He had also got 8,094 sq m out of his 19,425 sq m land in Kundla village converted in July,” Thummar told The Indian Express.

“Thanks to his land having been converted into NA, he will now be eligible to get compensation, which will be seven to eight times higher as compared to what he will otherwise get from the NHAI for his agricultural land,” he said.

Kachhadiya’s plots at Charkhadiya and Kundla villages in Savarkundla taluka abut NH-351.

According to state revenue department records, Kachhadiya had on May 6, 2023 applied for converting his Kundla land into NA. His application was granted on July 7. Similarly, he applied on October 11, 2023 for converting his Charkhadiya land into NA and the same was approved on October 31.

The two orders were given effect in revenue records by local mamlatdar in Savarkundla on July 18 and November 15, respectively. Thus, Kachhadiya’s Charkhadiya land became NA effectively just a week before NHAI issued the notification. “Being an MP, Kachhadiya apparently had prior information about the NHAI plans and he manipulated the situation for his personal gains. This constituets breach of oath of secresy that he had taken as an MP. Not only that, he also helped his relatives and acquintances to convert their land into NA for the same purpose,” Sukhadiya told The Indian Express, adding, “I have wrritten to the Prime Minister as well as Chief Minister of Gujarat to take action against Kachhadiya.”

Thummar, a former MP from Amreli, further said, “The BJP MP has got five other plots abutting the highway in Lapaliya, Oliya and Gorakhvala Mota villages converted into NA after entering into agreements-to-sale with their owners. NHAI will also have to pay higher compensation for acquiring parts of these plots.”

However, Kachhadiya rejected the allegations. “I want to construct a warehouse on my land in Kundla and had applied to convert a part the agricultural land into NA in May… Charkhadiya is my native village but I don’t have a house there. I want to develop a farmhouse our ancestral land in Charkhadiya,” Kachhadiya told The Indian Express.

Maintaining that he won’t mind if the NA orders are revoked, he said: “The Charkhadiya plot is our family land whereas we had purchased the Kundla plot around 30 years ago. Hence, it is not that we have purchased these plots to claim higher compensation from NHAI. Still, if someone believes that I have got converted these plots into NA with malafide intention, l won’t mind if the orders are cancelled. I will apply afresh once NHAI’s land acquisition is over.”

According to the affidavit Kachhadiya had filed with his nomination paper for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Charkhadiya land, around six acre, is a family land and its market value then was Rs 35 lakh. The Kundla land, a 4.75-acre plot, has been shown as “asset purchased by self” on February 18, 2002 for Rs 20,000. Its market value was then Rs 32 lakh.

Kachhadiya also rejected that he had a role in getting five other plots converted into NA. “I neither know any of these farmers nor have I got in touch with them for the NA process. I am ready to face a probe by the CBI if anyone still has doubts.”

Asked about one of his NA applications getting approved within three weeks, the MP said, “That is not within my purview. It is for officers to decide.”

Amreli collector Ajay Dahiya said Kachhadiya’s application was decided as per laws and set procedure. “He had applied online for converting his land plots into NA and the PSO (pre-scrutiny officer) in Gandhinagar had decided the channel for these applications. The applications were put into yellow channels, meaning we have to dispose of applications within 45 days. Generally, we can’t breach the deadline set by the PSO. The applications were found meeting legal requirements and therefore they were cleared as per rules,” said the collector.