State allots 51-ha plot to Pawar-led body with strict conditions

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to impose stringent conditions while allotting a 51-hectare plot in Jalna district to the Sharad Pawar-led Vasantdada

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to impose stringent conditions while allotting a 51-hectare plot in Jalna district to the Sharad Pawar-led Vasantdada Sugar Institute on a nominal lease of ₹1 per sqm. These include ban on use of the structure for any other purpose except research on sugarcane seeds and commercial exploitation of the land.

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The plot is located in Ambad tehsil in drought-hit Marathwada. While the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the decision, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said the move was initiated by then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis during the BJP regime.

The Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Pune performs all scientific, technical and educational activities that are relevant to the sugar industry. The institute aims to improve and increase the productivity of the industry through academics, research and extension. Pawar is the chairman of the institute, while other NCP leaders are members of the public trust. Four board members of the trust, including Ajit Pawar, are also state ministers.

BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said the decision shows the state is now being ruled by Sharad Pawar. “The institute is financially capable of buying a plot and doesn’t need concessions. Before giving it on lease, the government was supposed to call for bids and allot it to the highest bidder, which was not done,” Bhandari said.

He was pointing to a policy cleared the erstwhile BJP-led government in July 2019 that the state government will have to call for bids before allotting a land parcel to a trust. The policy also gives discretionary powers to the state government to make an exception in case of eminent institutions involved in charitable work, which was used by the cabinet, said an officer from revenue department.

The land parcel was acquired by the state agriculture department for a seed farm. A Supreme Court ruling in 1997 said the land acquired by the government for a particular public purpose should be used for the purpose only. In case, it is not possible, the said land should be either utilised for another public purpose or be returned to the original owners. “It was also of the view that the nature of the activity of research to be done by the institute would be for public purpose,” he said.

State minority affairs minister Nawab Malik said Fadnavis had pushed the land allotment proposal.

“It was because of Fadnavis that the state agriculture department, in 2017, handed over the land to the revenue department,” Malik said. “The Vasantdada Sugar Institute is a reputable research institute and has members from many political parties on its board. The decision is in the interest of the farmers and not of any individual. The variety of seeds will ultimately help farmers,” he said.