Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Vijay Kumbhar on Thursday took to X (formerly Twitter) and claimed that a land parcel in Pune's upmarket Mundhwa area was allegedly purchased for about ₹300 crore by a company linked to Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, despite its market rate being "considerably higher." Kumbhar also claimed that "the stamp duty of ₹21 crore on this deal was waived." "Why are some people more equal than others?" he asked in his post.
Kumbhar wrote, "A land deal worth ₹300 crore was registered in Mundhwa, Pune. As per the prevailing rate, the stamp duty payable was around ₹21 crore, but why was it waived off? Was it because the buyer happens to be the son of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar? When a common man buys a small flat, he pays lakhs in stamp duty. Then how do the ultra-rich get 'special exemptions' on crores worth of land? One rule for the powerful, another for the people?"
Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, meanwhile, demanded a judicial inquiry into the land deal, claiming that it was done in violation of the law.
"The purchase of land by the company of Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, must be investigated in a transparent manner. This is government land, and it was sold without any decision from the Revenue Department in this matter. The transaction should be cancelled, and action must be taken against whoever is responsible in this case," Wadettiwar said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has assured that his department would examine the land deal only after receiving a complaint.
Talking to reporters, Bawankule said social activist Anjali Damania had called him earlier in the day to inform him about the transaction and that she would file a written complaint with him by November 11.
Bawankule added that the matter of the stamp duty waiver falls under the jurisdiction of the Industries Department.
"The Industries Department, while encouraging certain industries, offers waivers or reliefs. That department will have to provide all relevant details. Instead of making any statements now, I will wait till November 11, when Damania submits her documents. The Revenue Department will then scrutinise them and seek information from the Industries Department to ascertain whether any waiver was granted within the framework of the government's IT policy," Bawankule said.
(With PTI inputs)
