Govt undecided on 2crore compensation to Cong MP Rajeev Shukla

MUMBAI: Succumbing to the pressure from Opposition parties, the government has scrapped a land deal with a local education society associated with Union minister of state Rajeev Shukla, but has kept pending a decision on the society’s demand that it be reimbursed the amount of Rs2 crore it spent on registering and securing the land.

Last week, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had asked the state administration to take back the land allotted to the BAG Film Education Society, of which Congress minister Rajeev Shukla was the secretary and his wife Anuradha Prasad the president.

In face of strong protests by the BJP, the society had declared itself willing to surrender the land. But it had demanded compensation for the huge amount it spent on registering the land, lease rent and other similar things.

T he s uburban collector office took possession of the land on Tuesday, confirmed the chief minister’s office on Friday. The local tehasildar completed transfer formalities on the grounds that the society wanted to surrender it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had accused the government of giving BAG Films Educational Society a 2,821 square meter plot in Andheri reserved for a municipal primary school, and another adjacent 3,534.70 sq m plot reserved for a playground on ownership and lease in 2008 for a price much less than existing market rates.

It had alleged that the society would make profits by constructing a high-profile school on the plot.

However, a senior revenue official said that the department has not taken any decision on offering the money demanded by the society.

“We have completed the official procedure of land transfer. The seniors in the government may or may not decide on the society’s demand because the law pertaining to this is not very clear,” he said, requesting anonymity.

Shukla, ex-secretary of the society, was not available for comment.
Courtesy:
    17 Feb 2014
    Hindustan Times (Mumbai)
    HT Correspondent htmetro@hindustantimes.com
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

Cong MP’s trust demands 2cr to return leased plots

Mumbai: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla’s trust has sought a reimbursement of Rs 2.2 crore in lieu of returning the two prime plots in Andheri (W) which it had received on lease. It has told the state that it would remove the security it had deployed on the plots from February 15.

On receiving such a letter on Friday, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan wrote to the additional chief secretary, revenue, to forward the file to him so that the process of reclaiming the land could start.

Bags Films Educational Society (BFES), which had Shukla as its secretary at that time, had applied for the lease of the plots in 2007. A week later, Shukla resigned as secretary. According to the development plan, one plot was reserved for a civic primary school and the other for a playground. The trust, in its application, had mentioned it would build a school for the poor there. In 2008, the state leased out the plots to BFES for 15 years and in 2009, the trust got possession. The land was apparently given out at rates prevalent in 1976.

Activist Ashok Pandit, who exposed the government largesse to Shukla, said the plots together were now worth Rs 100 crore.

In its letter to the government, the BFES said when it took possession in 2009, it was encroached upon and that it rehabilitated 29 slumdwellers at Rs 1.85 crore. With government help, it razed 314 illegal structures but 27 encroachers were still there. The trust claims to have deployed security for which it has spent a huge sum, besides paying Rs 25 lakh on a fence and electricity. Also, it paid Rs 98,000 for the school plot and Rs 38,000 as rent for the playground, Rs 4 lakh as stamp duty and Rs 2.5 lakh for extension of time limit to build the school, it claimed.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged both CM and Shukla lied three months ago when the latter claimed he would return the land. “He is returning the land after being exposed. Merely because he has given it back does not mean he can escape prosecution. He must apologize to the people,” he said.
COURTESY:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=pastissues2&BaseHref=TOIM/2014/02/08&PageLabel=4&EntityId=Ar00404&ViewMode=HTML

'आदर्श से भी बड़ा है अंधेरी जमीन घोटाला!'

मुंबई: कांग्रेस के दिग्गज नेता और केंद्रीय मंत्री राजीव शुक्ला की पत्नी अनुराधा प्रसाद की संस्था को दिए गए भूखंड का मामला जोर पकड़ता जा रहा है। बीजेपी नेता किरीट सोमैया ने सोमवार को मीडिया को घोटाले से संबंधित कुछ दस्तावेज बांटे। उन्होंने इसे आदर्श घोटाले से बड़ा घोटाला करार दिया। रकम की बात की जाए तो सोमैया ने 100 करोड़ रुपये का घोटाला बताया है।

सोमवार को सोमैया ने इस मसले को एक चरण और आगे बढ़ाया। उन्होंने आरोप लगाया कि नियम कानून को तह पर रखकर कलेक्टर ने मंत्री की पत्नी की संस्था को भूखंड दिया। उन्होंने भूखंड आबंटन करने वाले कलेक्टर पर भी मामला दर्ज करने की मांग की। उन्होंने मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण से मांग की कि भूखंड के इस श्रीखंड का जिन-जिन अधिकारियों, नेताओं और मंत्रियों ने स्वाद लिया है उन सभी पर कार्रवाई की जाए।

सोमैया ने कहा कि जब सीएम ने विधानसभा की बैठक में मंत्रालय की जली फाइलों को फिर से बनाने की घोषणा की थी, तो फिर शुक्ला की फाइल क्यूं नहीं बनाई गई ?
साभार:
नवभारत टाइम्स | Dec 10, 2013, 04.37AM IST
http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other-news/Andheri-land-scam-is-bigger-than-Adarsh-land-scam/articleshow/27147081.cms

Rajiv Shukla Land Scam: How school for poor was nixed to clear MP’s IB school

Five government departments, including the chief minister’s office, bent over backwards to gift two prime plots of land in Andheri worth over Rs 100 crore for less than Rs 1 lakh to a trust run by Union minister Rajiv Shukla’s wife.

Mumbai Mirror in its November 29 edition first reported how the plots near Country Club in Andheri (west) were allotted at concessional rates applicable in 1976 to BAG Films Education Society (BFES) to start a school. Shukla’s wife Anuradha Prasad is the chairman of BFES and the minister himself was its secretary till when the application for land allotment was made in 2007.

While one of the two plots was reserved for a primary municipal school and the other for a general utility playground, every rule was flouted to allot them to BFES, even though its application clearly stated that it wanted to start an IB or ICSE school. On Monday, Suburban Collector Sanjay Deshmukh and Additional Chief Secretary, revenue, Dr Swadheen S Kshatriya promised to look into the allotment that robbed the city of a municipalschoolandaplayground.“The issue has been brought to our notice after your newspaper report. We will look into it,” Kshatriya said.

This newspaper has retraced the entire paper trail between 2007, when BSEF applied for the plot, and 2008, when the allotment was made. Documents in our possession show not only did none of the government departments that dealt with the application raise any questions, the proposal was pushed through by the then chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh.

The BFES application travelled from the Revenue and Forest Department, which owned the land, and moved through the Urban Development, Finance and School Education departments, but does not seem to have undergone any scrutiny. Even the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation cleared it in a jiffy, willingly sacrificing a municipal school that could have benefited hundreds of poor children in the neighbourhood.

Shukla on Monday told this newspaperthathehasspokentoChiefMinister Prithviraj Chavan and offered to return both the plots. “I have told the CM that if anything inappropriate is found in the land allotment, state shouldtakeit(theplots)back.Weanyway intended to construct a school for poor and needy residing there.”

When it was pointed out that the documents clearly show the plan was to start an IB or ICSE school, he said: “That was the plan. Eventually we decided to construct a school for poor.”

The BFES moved the application for the plot sometime in 2007 and in September the same year the divisional commissioner, who reports to the Revenue Department, cleared the allotment. His only recommendation was the Urban Development Department be consulted as the plot was reserved for a primary school. In November, the UD Department wrote back that the two plots could be allotted to BFES after seeking a nod from the BMC. Having received the green signal from the UD Department, the Revenue Department sought details from the suburban collector’s office. While the suburban collector’s office was processing the information, BFES wrote to the state that it had entered into a JV with RIMS International, which runs schools and colleges in Mumbai and Pune. The letter said RIMS had all the clearances from the State School Education Department and was equipped to start a school.

As soon as the Revenue Department received this information, a letter was shot off to the School Education Department and the BMC, seeking their clearances. In February 2008, BMC’s chief engineer of the Development and Planning department wrote to state that they had no objection if the plot reserved for a municipal primary school was handed over to the BSEF.

In March 2008, the School Education Department too gave its nod on the rounds that RIMs was certified by them and that BSEF was a financially healthy.

With all concerned departments clearing the allotment of the plot meant for the school, now arose the question of the adjoining plot reserved for a sports complex. BSEF wanted to use this plot as a play ground for its school. When the revenue department sought an opinion from Sports Department, the latter offered no resistance, stating its clearance was not even required.

When the process of deciding a price for the two plots started, a letter signedbyvariousrevenueofficialswas issued in April 2008, stating that the chief minister’s secretary had issued instructions to clear the proposal urgently. It went on to state that since the cost of the land was Rs 39,000 per sq meter, concessions would have to be given after getting a nod from Finance Department.

In May, the Finance Department stated that land rates applicable in 1976 should be applied (Rs 140 per sq meter). Chief minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) and revenue minister (Narayan Rane) soon cleared the proposal. But that was not all. The Town Planning Department suggested that the school plot could be given at 25 per cent of the rate prevailing in 1976 and playground plot at 10 per cent of the rates prevailing in 1976. It was decided that while school plot would be given on ownership basis, playground plot would be given on 15 years lease.

On September 9, 2008, the two plots were allotted to BSEF -- Rs 98,735 for the school plot and Rs 6,309 for a 15-year lease on the plot they would use as a playground.

Ashoke Pandit, convenor of Save Open Spaces, who has filed a complaint against the land allotment with the chief minister’s office said, “The entire land deal reeks of corruption. There is no municipal school or playground for public in the vicinity. BMC could have claimed both the plots and put them to good use.”
Courtesy:
Yogesh Sadhwani and Yogesh Naik mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @_MumbaiMirror
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=MIRRORNEW&BaseHref=MMIR/2013/12/03&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00302&ViewMode=HTML