Fishing contracts: corruption charges levelled against Solanki

As evidence,he has attached a letter containing an affidavit from a contractor who has claimed the minister had demanded Rs 30 lakh from them for awarding contract for Vatrak dam.

Maradia,a resident of Bhagal village in Banaskanth district,has sought the permission in a letter addressed to the state Chief Secretary.

Maradia,who has also requested the state government to order a probe and a CBI inquiry into the matter,said in the letter that he will go ahead with a writ petition in case the government does not take any step within two weeks’ time.

At the heart of the controversy is the allotment of fishing rights for 58 reservoirs in the state in 2008,which the Fisheries Department had allotted without inviting tenders,causing a loss of nearly Rs 44 crore to the state.

A couple of fishing societies had moved the Supreme Court in November 2008 when the Fisheries Department did not follow the Gujarat High Court order which cancelled the allotments and indicting the minister.

The SC in December 2008 had asked the state government to follow the HC order. After this,the contracts given in July and August 2008 were cancelled and fresh contracts were given,inviting tenders.

To support his claim,Maradia,in his letter to the Chief Secretary,has attached an affidavit filed by one contractor Pagi Jerak Monalji,the office bearer of Shree Vatrak Jalasay Matsya Udyog Mandali.

In the affidavit,Monalji has stated on oath that Solanki had demanded Rs 30 lakh from him and another person in July 2008 at Bhavnagar for the fishing contract of the Vatrak Dam. He said when they pleaded their inability to pay the money,the minister gave them a time of 12 months. Monalji said the minister had threatened to cancel their license if they failed to give him the demanded amount in a year. Though he did not pay to the minister,some other contractors did,he said.