‘Previous state govt illegally allotted Thane land to private society’

RPI LEADER PK JAIN SAID THE LAND AT PACHPAKADI WAS ALLOTTED AGAINST SC GUIDELINES, WHICH PROHIBIT THE CHANGE OF ‘GURCHARAN’ LAND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

MUMBAI: The Republican Party of India (RPI) alleged the state government illegally tweaked rules to allot 20 acres of land at Thane worth Rs650-700 crore to a cooperative society at the behest of a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader.

RPI leader PK Jain said the land at Pachpakadi was allotted violating Supreme Court guidelines, which prohibited the change of ‘Gurcharan’ land for other purposes apart from public utility. Gurcharan land is used for cattle grazing.

“The state government illegally allotted 20 acres of prime land to Shrikrishna Cooperative Housing Society in October 2012, when the Supreme Court in 2011 had prohibited any such activity on the Gurcharan land,” said Jain.

“Such land can only be converted if it is to be used for public utility or public purpose,” he added.

He accused the then collector AL Jarhad, who is currently the Navi Mumbai municipal commissiondeal. “The entire scheme was fashioned to suit the interests of a Thane NCP strongman,” he said, but declined to name the leader.

The RPI asked the state government to cancel this allotment and restore the land back to the locals.

Jain plans to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to cancel the said allotment.

Jarhad, however, dismissed all allegations as the RPI’S figment of imagination and denied any role in the issue.

“I as the collector did not have the power to allot any land and have absolutely no role in this issue,” said Jarhad.

“The entire issue was during the term of my predecessor and all I did was refer the case to the state government to take the decision,”