Rs 50,000-cr fraud in STP allotment: Somaiya’s PIL
Alleging gross illegalities in the state government’s allotment of six properties to private developers as special township projects (STPs), BJP national secretary Kirit Somaiya filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court on Monday.
“Around 235 lakh square feet of prime land was arbitrarily and illegally given to private firms by the Government of Maharashtra by abusing their power sanctioned under Section 3 k of the Slum Rehabilitation Act. The total cost of the projects extends up to Rs. 50,000 crore with a profit of Rs. 31,500 crore,” Somaiya said.
Along with the principal secretary (housing), the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), BMC and the Centre, Somaiya has also named six private builders and developers as respondents in the case.
The plots are located in areas like Malvani and Kandivali (East) and allegedly include a mangrove belt and salt-pan land which come under CRZ norms. Somaiya’s PIL further claims that some portion of the land, which has been given to the firms for development, is under reservations under the Development Plan. Another portion of land belongs to the Ministry of Defence, the PIL states.
“No permission has been obtained from the Centre before granting approvals,” the PIL says. The PIL is likely to come up for hearing before a Division Bench of the court next week.
Somaiya had contended that the government’s decision in not inviting bids for development projects “smacks of nepotism”. He stated that the government’s decision caused a huge loss to the state exchequer. “State property cannot be distributed as largesse at the whims and fancies of the executive,” the PIL states.