Maharashtra: Oppn demands answers on illegal land deal in Thane

The opposition on Friday cornered the Maharashtra government, accusing it of shielding a ‘heavy-weight’ builder who had allegedly illegally acquired land from a farmer in Thane for two high rises.

The opposition on Friday cornered the Maharashtra government, accusing it of shielding a ‘heavy-weight’ builder who had allegedly illegally acquired land from a farmer in Thane for two high rises.

When the question about forgery and misappropriation in a land deal in Majiwade, Thane for two high rises came up, speaker Haribhau Bagde told the house it cannot debate the matter, as it was sub judice.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil objected to this and demanded the government comes clean, as the issue questioned the credibility of the house.

Patil said the developer had constructed the high rises on land fraudulently taken by imposing the thumb impression of a farmer who had died years ago. He alleged the police and revenue officers were working with the builder, which is why he has not been named in the FIR. Patil claimed the documents related to the land were forged.

When the opposition objected to the speaker’s stand of not discussing the matter, revenue minister Eknath Khadse said he did not have details, including the name of the developer or the people against whom the case was registered, but promised to table the information in the house in due time.

Ajit Pawar demanded the developer’s name is revealed, and asked for the question to be withheld until the government got the additional information.