Now, a Shiv Sena minister faces land grab charges in Maharashtra
Sanjay Nirupam alleges Shiv Sena minister has misused powers by getting government agency to build steam bath centre on land owned by Aarey Milk Colony
Mumbai: The Mumbai unit of Congress party on Wednesday alleged that junior housing minister Ravindra Waikar from Shiv Sena had illegally seized control of 25 acres in Mumbai’s Aarey colony.
The allegations come within weeks of the resignation of revenue and agriculture minister Eknath Khadse from Sena’s ruling partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on charges of land grab.
Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president Sanjay Nirupam alleged that Waikar had misused his powers as minister of state for housing by getting a government agency to build a steam bath centre on land owned by Aarey Milk Colony, a state government undertaking.
Nirupam claimed Waikar had used his legislator’s constituency development fund to get the centre constructed by Maharashtra government’s Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). Maharashtra housing minister Prakash Mehta who is from the Bharatiya Janata Party is the chairman of MHADA. Nirupam said the chief executive officer of Aarey Milk Colony had written thrice to MHADA pointing out the irregularities, but Waikar, as minister of state for housing, stalled action.
“Waikar is guilty on three counts. First, he has got an illegal structure constructed using public funds. Two, he has misused his powers as minister of state for housing by stalling action. Three, the organisation which is running the gymnasium and steam bath centre is unregistered and belongs to his kin," Nirupam said. He said he would write to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis asking him to fire Waikar and initiate an inquiry against him.
Waikar, a second-term Sena legislator, could not be reached on his mobile phone for his comments.
An unregistered organisation formed by Waikar’s kin was illegally running this centre and it had also illegally constructed a compound wall around 25 acres of land behind the centre, Nirupam alleged. “This land is at least worth ₹ 25 crore at current market rates in that area," Nirupam said.
The Congress leader said MHADA had alloted ₹ 27 lakh for constructing a ground floor gymnasium over 350 sq. m under Waikar’s legislative area development fund. “But Waikar has got a ground plus one structure with a steam bath centre constructed. This centre is being run by an unregistered organisation which belongs to his relatives. In addition, he has also got a compound wall constructed around 25 acres of green land in Aarey colony," Nirupam said.
The Congress leader said the chief minister has not taken any action against as many as 11 of his ministers accused of corruption. “I feel Fadnavis’s claim that he is clean is either hollow or he is himself involved in the corruption of his ministers," Nirupam said.
Earlier this month, revenue and agriculture minister Khadse resigned and the chief minister ordered a high level probe by a retired judge into land grab charges against him. Similar charges have been made against Girish Mahajan, another BJP minister.
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