Sahara asks govt for a fresh look

8220;The SIHL has submitted a fresh application to the urban development department. However, no decision has been taken on it so far,8221; principal secretary urban development K Nalinakshan said, while a senior official of the company confirmed the SIHL has moved the apex court.

On a petition filed by the Bombay Environmental Action Group, an HC division bench of Justice Ashok A Desai and P S Patankar on December 4, 1998 quashed the letter of intent granted to Sahara.

The court also asked the state government to carry out a probe into Sahara8217;s land deals and permittedthe aggrieved tribals to approach the competent authority for establishing that their lands were taken by force and without making any payment. Another highlight of the court verdict was the bench8217;s observation that as per the existing legal provisions, Sahara could not become a developer, and that some of the transactions appeared to be benami.

Ever since the SIHL moved the government for a letter of intent, the project was mired in controversy. Senior Congress leader R R Patil as well as leader of opposition Chhagan Bhujbal were in the forefront of the attack on the project. They alleged that there was a Rs 100 crore deal in granting the letter of intent for the controversial project.

When the demands of the urban development department were discussed in the Assembly, R R Patil had made specific allegations, prompting the then Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, who was holding the urban development portfolio, to set up an inquiry committee to probe the charges.

On one hand, Joshi was facing directcriticism from the opposition members. On the other, social worker Anna Hazare threatened to book the government for approval of the project, forcing Joshi to stay all the construction activities of SIHL.

Subsequently, on the basis of report of the inquiry committee headed by Ajit Warty, Joshi had ordered the demolition of illegal structures. On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde asked the Crime Investigation Department CID to probe the alleged nexus between a section of members of Sahara with criminals from Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, an official spokesman of SIHL claimed that though the HC has quashed the letter of intent, it does not mean the organisation will wind up the project. 8220;The letter of intent granting consent to Sahara was the first part of the routine procedure. It was quashed on technical grounds Sahara was a power of attorney holder and not the owner of the land, and the letter of intent was issued before declaration of the tourism area. Under such circumstances, it isour opinion that formal permission for the project has not been rescinded,8221; the spokesman added.

Secondly, the spokesman said the CID report, which had given Sahara a clean chit, was not brought before the HC, which held that some of the transactions were benami.