Mollah brings Basu angle in Vedic tangle

“After being defeated in court (the state government lost the case),I decided that the land could be leased out to R K Modi against the amount settled according to government norms,” Mollah said.

A section in the CPM,to which the minister belongs,remained unimpressed with Mollah’s explanation. “Legally he may not be wrong. But morally,it is our declared stand that vested farmland should be distributed among landless farmers. How could he violate party norms?” a CPM leader said.

Mollah,however,said: “In 2003,when we enquired about the village premises,land had already been converted from agriculture to business purposes. I had no other option other than leasing out the land.”

Sources in the land department said that in 1997,the name of the company that set up the resort was Sanjeevani Projects Limited,owned by a promoter said to be close to the then chief minister Jyoti Basu. “Sanjeevani Projects Private Limited had purchased 10 acres before I became the minister,” Mollah said.

“I have submitted my report to Bimanda. I do not know whether he is happy with it,” the minister said when asked about the possibility of an inquiry against.

Following the disclosure of Mollah’s hand in the land deal,CPM state secretary Biman Bose has asked for a report from him. Several other ministers,including Housing Minister Goutam Deb,had asked Mollah to clarify why the land department had leased out land vested with the government.

CPM sources said the controversy has already tarnished the image of the party because the idea of ministers in the Left Front government freely visiting a spa would not be acceptable to the people. Moreover,the sensitive land acquisition issue was,leaders feel,responsible for the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. “It seems the land issue will harm the party once again,” said a senior leader.