The controversial Pune land deal, involving Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son Parth, stands to be cancelled. Two days after Parth’s name cropped up in the buying process of the land parcel belonging to the government, NCP chief Pawar said, “I have been told that not a single rupee was paid for buying the land parcel. All documents and papers related to the deal have been scrapped and cancelled,” Ajit said.
For the last two days, the Dy CM’s son has been in the news as one of the companies where he is director purchased land in Pune, allegedly in violation of norms. The deal is also controversial because the price of the land parcel was listed at Rs 300 crore, instead of the Rs 1800 crore market value, as claimed by several leaders from the opposition parties. Also, the Opposition has been alleging that the government is giving stamp duty relief to buyers as the deal involved Pawar’s son.
Parth has a 99 per cent holding in the company, but still his name was missing from the FIR and names of other company directors were mentioned in the case registered in the Pune police jurisdiction.
Replying to allegations of the government being biased, Pawar said, “I checked with Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. He said that the names of people who went to the registration office have been mentioned in the FIR.” The Opposition, including Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, slammed the move and referred to it as a mockery of democracy.
As the Opposition continues to demand Pawar’s resignation, on Friday, a Government Resolution (GR) announced the appointment of a five-member committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (revenue) Vikas Kharage to probe the irregularities in the land deal and registration process.
Further clarifying his stand on the deal, Pawar reiterated that he was not aware of any such deal. “Everyone knows I never work or ask anyone to do any work in violation of rules. Had I been aware of it, I would not have been allowed the deal to proceed,” the Dy CM added.
Ajit even claimed that he called his office staff to check if anyone had made calls or put any pressure on the deal. “Everyone from the staff mentioned that they were not involved. I am telling every government officer not to entertain any work beyond the rule book, even if the person claims to be from my family or knows me personally,” Pawar said.
Asked how the papers were sent for registration and whether registration officials were involved in the deal, the NCP chief said, “The committee appointed to probe the deal has to submit its report within a month. Why was the document registered when no money was paid? Was there any pressure put for the deal? If there was pressure, who was the person? All these things will be clear after the investigation.”
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who also holds the Leader of Opposition post in the Lok Sabha, took a dig at the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue. “A land plot reserved for Dalits was sold to the minister’s son. This is ‘land theft’ by a government which was formed through ‘vote theft’,” Gandhi said in a social media post.
