Was the land reserved for rehabilitation sold to the kin of Pune DC?
3 Feb, 2014The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has raised suspicion that there might be some irregularities in the Rs. 2 crore land deal in Satara district in which the Divisional Commissioner of Pune and his close relatives are allegedly involved. The reply to the application shows that the land was reserved for rehabilitation purpose indicating that it must not have been sold in the first place. More so, the documents provided in the reply also shows that earlier the land was recognized as agricultural land but within ten days of the land deal its status was changed to non-agricultural land.
The applicant alleged that the documents of the deal reveal that it was finalized only in Rs. 2 crore when the true cost of the 300 acre land is at least Rs. 7-8 crores. The applicant also alleged that the deal is in violation of the Land Ceiling Act, which restricts a public servant from possessing excess land than permitted. He also pointed out that seven-twelfth of the land was in the name of farmers till 2009 and despite this they were kept in dark about the deal.
Based on the allegations, the applicant has demanded a probe into the matter by the state government. The village farmers have also given a memorandum to the district collector and have threatened to launch an agitation in case inquiry is not conducted in the matter.