The Times of India; Tuesday 26 April 2011,
AHMEDABAD: Alleging rampant corruption in the state revenue department, leader of Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil claimed that state revenue minister Anandiben Patel had set aside rules to favour two companies.
Talking to reporters, Gohil said that the revenue minister, a close confidant of chief minister Narendra Modi, allowed a businessman to sell two lakh square-meter of precious land in Kutch instead of letting the government take possession of the land.
Gohil, who has accessed this information, using right to information act (RTI), said that as per the law, the government should have taken possession of the businessman's land. However, Modi government showed soft corner to the businessman and allowed him to sell the land to another businessman.
"Mumbai-based Indigold Refinery was given two lakh square-meter of land in Kutch. It was an agricultural land and as per the law, the businessman was supposed to start production from the proposed unit within a stipulated period, failing which the government was supposed to take possession of the land back. In this case, the Indigold Refinery did not start the project and decided to sell the land to Allumina Refinery," alleged Gohil.
He said that as per the information accessed through RTI, it was clear that all the officials were of the opinion that as per the state rules, the land should have been returned to the government. "But minister Patel in the noting stated that since the land belonged to a private owner, the same can be considered as a special case and permission to sale should be given," claimed Gohil, adding that Patel had okayed it, overruling objections.
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