Rohit Pawar alleges Sanjay Shirsat involved in Rs 5000 crore scam, demands resignation
According to Pawar, the story dates back to the British era when the Bivalkar family was awarded more than 4,000 acres of land for helping the British against the Maratha Empire in 15 villages of present day Roha, Panvel, Alibaug, Uran tehsils.
3 min read
NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar (File Photo)NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar has alleged that Maharashtra’s Social Justice minister Sanjay Shirsat illegally handed over 15 acres of a prime land plot in Navi Mumbai worth Rs 5,000 crore to a particular family during his tenure as the chairman of City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) in the previous government led by Eknath Shinde.
Demanding the Shiv Sena leader’s resignation, Pawar said, “The Bivalkar family’s proposal was rejected for years on account of every law, rule and judgement. But in the first meeting after becoming the CIDCO chairman Sanjay Shirsat set aside all the rules and decided to give the 15 acres of land to the Bivalkar family. The market value of this land is about Rs 5,000 crore and CIDCO could have built about 10,000 houses for the poor on this land,” said Nationalist Congress Party (SP) General Secretary and MLA Rohit Pawar while addressing a press conference at party headquarters.
Vijay Singhal, vice-chairman of CIDCO and Sanajay Shirsat were not reachable despite multiple attempts to contact them.
According to Pawar, the story dates back to the British era when the Bivalkar family was awarded more than 4,000 acres of land for helping the British against the Maratha Empire in 15 villages of present day Roha, Panvel, Alibaug, Uran tehsils. “By claiming it as a personal gift, the lands were first saved from Bombay Personal Inams Abolition Act, 1952 and later prior to land ceiling act in 1961, registering lands as reserved forest. However, in 1975, the Maharashtra Private Forest Acquisition Act came, in which their entire land went to the government. In 1985 the Bivalkar family objected to the Private Forest Acquisition Act which the collector rejected in 1989. In 1990, they went to the High Court. In 2010, another appeal was filed, which was clubbed. In October 2014, the High Court ruled in favor of the Bivalkar family. After coming to know about it in 2015, the government appealed in the Supreme Court and the order was stayed,” Pawar said.
Following the scheme for Project Affected Persons (PAPs) of CIDCO, the family applied in 1993 for benefits under the 12.5 percent scheme as 150 acres of land with collector and court of wards was acquired by CIDCO. In 1994, CIDCO rejected this application. In 1995, 2010, 2023, CIDCO rejected the application.
“Despite CIDCO reports against giving 12.5 per cent land to the family, Sanjay Shirsat cleared the file in his first meeting as CIDCO chairman whereby giving 61,000 square meter land with market value of Rs 5000 crore and a tripartite agreement on 8000 square meter land has already been signed,” Pawar alleged. He said that this scam is in addition to Shirsat’s video of a bag with cash and his son’s involvement in a now-stayed auction of a hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and the CM must take his resignation. The NCP (SP) will be holding a protest led by party’s state unit chief Shashikant Shinde, on Wednesday at CIDCO office.
You May Like
