On April 26, 2007, just over six weeks before the UPA-Left announced Pratibha Patil’s name for President, the Congress-led Maharashtra government leased out 25,000 square feet of prime land in Amravati to her husband’s education society. And agreed to build a sports complex on it using Rs 36 lakh from Patil’s MP Local Area Development Fund Scheme MPLADS she got way back in 1996 when she was a Lok Sabha MP.
Rule 3.21 of the new rules of MPLADS clearly says that funding “is not permissible to a Society/Trust if the recommending MP or any of his/her family members is President/Chairman or Managing Committee or Trustee of the Society/Trust in question. Family members would include MP and MP’s spouse…children.”
This has been cleverly circumvented.
So, it’s the government that will build the complex and own it as well but on land leased out to Vidyabharati Shikshan Sanstha founded by Patil’s husband Devisingh Shekhawat.
A visit to the site shows that this land is right next to Vidyabharati College, which this society runs. Patil’s son Raosaheb Shekhawat is the chairman of the society and Devisingh Shekhawat is now its Treasurer.
According to the administrative approval granted by Collector Ravindra Jadhav on May 4, 2007, a maintenance committee set up by Shekhawat’s college will look after the complex. The Collector will be its chairman and District Sports Officer will be its member.
Official records and court papers, accessed by The Indian Express, show how the MPLADS funds finally reached the college’s doorstep:
8226; 1992: The 25,000-square feet of land next to Shekhawat’s college is reserved for “educational use.” Shekhawat is then the Mayor of the Amravati Municipal Corporation.
8226; November 8, 1996: Patil allocates Rs 36 lakh from her MPLADS scheme and writes to the Collector, Amravati, asking for a sports complex on this land.
8226; January 18, 1996: Collector grants administrative approval.
8226; July 1, 1997: In 1996, new MP is Sena’s Ananth Gudhe. Patil writes to Lok Sabha Speaker seeking directions against delay in project implementation “due to political reason.”
8226; 1998: Pratibha Patil and Abhiruchi Kala and Krida Mandal, a social organisation floated by Shekhawat’s trusted aide and a physical training teacher in his college M T Deshmukh, move the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court seeking directions that funds earmarked for the project shouldn’t be diverted and the project should come up on the chosen piece of land adjacent to the college.
8226; August 25, 1999: High Court grants relief on the above counts — in other words, says the project site shouldn’t be changed and project funds should not be diverted.
8226; April 26, 2007: State govt allows leasing of land to Shekhawat’s Vidyabharati Shikshan Sanstha.
8226; May 4, 2007: Collector Jadhav issues administrative approval for the sports complex.
When contacted, Jadhav told The Indian Express that there was nothing wrong as “funds are not being given to Shekhawat’s institute and the government will be building and later owning the project.”
Asked why then was the land leased out to the society, Jadhav, now posted in Nagpur, said, “Because it was reserved for the institute in the city’s development plan.”
Jadhav’s approval letter mentions that the approval for the project was pending in the High Court since land wasn’t available for the project.
“Now it has been leased out to the institute by the government. And the go-ahead for the project doesn’t violate the HC interim order in that the site is unaltered and funds haven’t been diverted,” said Jadhav.
His order further mentions that the approval is subject to final disposal of Abhiruchi’s writ by the High Court. Asked what if the court expresses reservations on the government’s move to lease the land to Shekhawat’s institute, Jadhav said: “The government has the liberty to withdraw the lease. But, ideally, if the petitioner’s grievance is resolved, it withdraws the petition in which case the court may not say anything further.”
Jadhav said the project will not be used exclusively by Shekhawat’s college. “Since it is a government-owned project, it will be open for use by all citizens of Amravati.”
Patil’s son Raosaheb Shekhawat declined to comment. “You may contact Jayanthi Natarajan in AICC for the comment,” he said. Natarajan, however, wasn’t available despite repeated attempts.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi denied any wrongdoing on Patil’s part saying that “funds utilised under MPLADS are audited and submitted to the Comptroller 038; Auditor General of India”.
Besides, the District Collector ensures that the guidelines under MPLADS are honoured. “If somebody crosses the guidelines, the Collector can report it to authorities,” said Dasmunshi, adding that guidelines for MPLADS have been changing as well.
Audited by CAG, says Dasmunsi, Collector can report irregularity
8226; Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi denied any wrongdoing on Patil’s part saying “funds utilised under MPLADS are audited and submitted to the Comptroller 038; Auditor General of India.”
8226; “If somebody crosses the guidelines, the District Collector can report it to authorities,” said Dasmunsi.
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