Mumbai: BJP leader and it's Chief Whip in Assembly has caught in the controversy as NCP state President and Former Finance Minister Jayant Patil has exposed an alleged corruption by Purohit in state Assembly.
He forged document to exclude a prime land in Pune from Urban Land Ceiling (ULC)Act. Purohit helped builder Lalitkumar Jain by issuing such a fake order, Patil alleged.
Patil made this allegation without taking Purohit name. But the documents submitted by him bears the name of Raj Purohit. This case is 20 years old and Purohit was then Minister of State in Shivsena BJP government in 1998.
He was Minister of State for Housing and ULC in then Sena-BJP government. Now all eyes are on whether BJP takes any action on Raj Purohit. He passed an order on August 13, 1998 and excluded land in Pashan area of Pune, ad-measuring 7,51,327 Sq feet from ULC.
The order was signed by Raj Purohit himself and was mentioned that- this order is being issued as per orders by the Governor and in the name of Governor.
As per the information sought by Kiran Bhosle under the RTI, Urban Development Department on August 10, 2018 admitted that no such file was processed by the department and no such order was issued for the Pashan land.
What’s the case?
As per the Urban Land ceiling Act which was implemented in the state on February 17, 1976, one can not hold land beyond the prescribed limits for rural and urban sectors.
If anyone holds land beyond this limit, state has authority to declare the land as “additional land” and can acquire the land to redistribute among poor people for farming or to builders for ensuring homes to poor people.
Based on the information submitted by Namdeo Dhondiba Pashankar, the then Assistant Collector and competent authority for ULC on July 31, 1981 declared 69,800 Square Meter ( 7,51,327 Sq feet) land as extra land. After this Pashankar submitted housing project for poor people under Article 20 of ULC Act on this additional land.
“But Pashankar family was not financially sound to implement this project. Lalit Kumar Jain, owner of Kumar Builders misused this problem and got power of Attorney from Pashankar family on June 9, 1985.
Jain later connived with Raj Purohit. Purohit overruled against the orders of Pune Assistant Collector and announced that this land is not additional land and can be fully owned by Pashankar family.
This means the land can not be acquired by state government and owner or builder can not be forced to use this land for housing of poor people,” Jayant Patil said. When a common person demanded copy of this order from Urban Development department under RTI, he was informed that no such order was issued by the department.
“An order by state government can only be issued by Secretary, Additional Secretary Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Assistant Secretary or by the person who is specially empowered to do that. Signature by such official will be considered as certification of the genuineness of the order,” he cited the rule of business framed by state government.
