Congress alleges Rs 2,000-cr scam in Bharuch GIDC land allotment

Demanding an investigation by a sitting Supreme Court or High Court judge into the alleged scam that caused a massive revenue loss to the state treasury, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Shaktisinh Gohil stated that instead of auctioning the plots that could have fetched Rs 10,000 per sq meter price, GIDC has been allotting them at mere Rs 2,845 per sq metre.

“Suddenly, before the Lok Sabha polls, in a highly suspicious and mysterious manner, the GIDC management and the industries department in February 2024 reverted its earlier decision of declaring Saykha and Dahej as saturated estates. This was for the first time, GIDC reversed such a decision. Both Dahej and Saykha estates were overnight declared unsaturated, which means plots can be allotted at Jantri rate, which is Rs 2,845 per square metre for Dahej and Rs 3,075 per square metre for Saykha estate,” he alleged during a press conference.

GIDC has already made allotment of more than five lakh square metres plots at Rs 2,845 per square metre and is planning to allot nearly two million or 20 lakh square metres of land in Dahej and Saykha at the same rate, he said. “It is a direct loss of more than Rs 2,000 crore to the state exchequer. Why is the Chief Minister (Bhupendra Patel) not visiting the GIDC office in Gandhinagar”.

Demanding the CM to order an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe for money laundering, Gohil alleged that a handful of people, ministers, bureaucrats and BJP leaders are exploiting GIDC and extorting businessmen and corporates. “In April 2023, GIDC had invited applications for plots ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 square metres for Saykha GIDC, which is a chemical zone where land is highly sought after. GIDC received many applications in response to the advertisement. In June 2023, however, the GIDC management decided to reject all applications and declare Saykha and Dahej as saturated GIDC. A Government Resolution was issued on the same,” he said.

Declaring any area or GIDC as saturated means there were only a few plots available and all the remaining plots in its possession would be sold via auctions, in turn, bringing in more revenue for the state. “I demand the state government to explain why it had to revert its decision with regard to Dahej and Saykha GIDC estates? At whose behest the board took that decision? Why doesn’t the government want to hold public auctions of the plots available in GIDC estates in Dahej and Saykha…

The ED, Income Tax and CBI should jointly investigate the assets of GIDC board members and keep the investigation transparent and present the same in front of the public,” Gohil demanded.

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