‘It is now obvious that I am victim of political conspiracy’

HOUSING MINISTER PRAKASH MEHTA, IN THE EYE OF A STORM OVER SEVERAL ALLEGED SCAMS, SEEKS TO CLARIFY HIS POSITION

Housing Minister Prakash Mehta is at the receiving end of an Opposition campaign to oust him from the Cabinet over alleged irregularities in flat allotments and land scam. The Assembly has been stalled on numerous occasions over the issue, but the minister himself says he is a victim of political conspiracy. Excerpts from an interview with Mehta conducted by Neeta Kolhatkar.

✒You have been accused of one scam after another involving the housing ministry. Has the central leadership of the BJP spoken to you about them?

No. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is the leader of our party in Maharashtra. He has given a reply on the allegations in both the Houses of the Assembly. His word is the last as far as our party is concerned. Vikhe Patil or Prithviraj Chavan cannot decide the fate of our party leaders. Till now nobody from the central leadership has spoken to me or asked for an explanation.

✒You have always spoken out against the unholy nexus between builders, bureaucrats and politicians. Are you the victim of this nexus?

I cannot really guess what goes on in the mind of individuals. I have not derailed anybody’s project in particular. Yes, I am stickler for rules and all projects should follow government guidelines.

✒Do you think there is a political conspiracy against you?

It is obvious that there is a political conspiracy against me. But the reason I do not know. Suddenly, leaders of Opposition parties have gone belligerent. I feel this is a fight between Prithviraj Chavan and Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil to prove who is performing better as the Leader of the Opposition.

✒But are you being made a target by your detractors within the BJP?

Nobody from my party is involved in this conspiracy, this is against the BJP’s culture. This is a game of the Congress and the NCP to try and corner Devendra Fadnavis. Our party believes in elective politics and in my 40-odd years in politics, our party treats us like a family. I am absolutely clear that there is no internal politics in the BJP.

✒You talked about cleaning up the housing sector. Do you think that a lobby is working against you?

Yes, we have begun cleaning up the housing department and I am sure someone must have been hurt. In the last government run by the Congress, certain decisions taken with relation to the housing department were suspect. But ever since our government came to power, we have been committed to giving clean governance. Ease of doing business and giving speed to all processes.

✒Did you get an okay from the CM for the SRA project at Tardeo? There are allegations that you misled him.

The file was moved by me and the very next day, we met the CM to discuss the project. The CM said we will stop the project for now and discuss it at length later. In 20092010, the then CM, Ashok Chavan, after the 225 sq ft rooms were constructed in the MP Mill compound, gave excess 44 feet FSI to the builder. This was a wrong decision. At that time 2.5 FSI was given and the project was sanctioned. If after a slum has been awarded minimum 3 FSI and the density for rehabilitation is lesser than 500 it creates a problem. This has not been done in in my time.

THIS IS a game of the Congress and the NCP to try and corner Devendra Fadnavis. I am absolutely clear that there is no internal politics in the BJP