Mumbai : After Chhagan Bhujbal, top leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are under scanner for allegedly transferring a 73-acre land without due process in the name of their trusts. Pune-based RTI activist Ravindra Barhate alleged that the Vidya Pratishthan, an educational trust run by NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, transferred a land from Krishi Udyog Mul Shikshan Sanstha.
Barhate alleged that this is a huge corruption done by the duo, and he is going to file a complaint against both of them in court.
The land in dispute at Pune Karhati village belonged to an agricultural school run by Krushi Udyog Mul Sikhshan Sansthan. The land was allotted on lease by the government in 1953 on the request of the institution as it needed the land for academic purposes.
In 2005, the then chairman of trust Padmatai Siddhya abruptly resigned Krushi Udyog Mul Sikhshan Sansthan and Ajit Pawar took over as the new chairman.
“He became a member of the trust in December 2005, i.e., after he became chairman. It should have been other way around that first one becomes a member of the trust and then its office-bearer. Thus, appointment of Pawar as chairman was itself flawed,” said Barhate.
“In August 2008, a lease agreement was signed by agricultural school trust to hand over the land to the Vidya Pratisthan. According to the agreement the lease was decided Rs 25,000 per annum, which was not paid to the trust,” he alleged.
“The document was registered and Vidya Pratisthan’s name was transferred on the property card on October 17, 2014, two days prior to the Assembly results were to be declared in Maharashtra,” Barhate said.
Now, Barhate is following the matter with various competent authorities. He alleged that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also handling home department, is not listening the case. “He is not giving orders to the police to take action,” Barhate alleged.
Meanwhile, Vidya Pratishtan has clarified that there is nothing illegal in it. The trust had paid the amount decided by the collector for handing over the land. All the trustees of Krishi Udyog Mul Shikshan Santha had passed a resolution to hand over the land to Vidya Pratishtan. Barhate is trying to gain popularity and malign the Pawar family, it was said in a statement.
