MVA SET TO CHECKMATE BJP BY RAKING UP SCAMS

It will be tabling reports on the land scam, chiki scam and irregularities in the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan during the ensuing budget session

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government is set to corner its opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the ensuing budget session beginning February 24 by tabling reports on the probes into the various scams that took place during the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. These reports are pertaining to the land scam, chiki scam, and irregularities in the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan, among others, which were never shared by the Fadnavis government. MVA aims to checkmate BJP, which is busy giving new deadlines for the collapse of the state government.

An MVA minister told FPJ, "Fadnavis had given a clean chit to all the ministers whose names figured in various scams despite repeated demands by Congress and NCP from the opposition benches. The single-member panel of Justice (Retd) Dinkar Zoting had submitted its report in 2017 after inquiring into allegations that BJP leader Eknath Khadse, during his tenure as the state revenue minister, had purchased a three-acre plot at Bhosari for a song. The report was not tabled in the legislature.’’

Further, the Lokayukta, in his report, had found the former housing minister Prakash Mehta guilty in the slum rehabilitation scheme at Tardeo in south Mumbai.

Mehta had allegedly used provisions of the Slum Rehabilitation Act to allow extra building rights to a scheme meant for the project affected persons. Mehta refuted charges, but was dropped by Fadnavis from the cabinet in June 2019 and later denied assembly ticket.

Congress and NCP had alleged that about 24 acres of prime land belonging to City and Industrial Development Corporation in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, was sold to a builder for a meagre sum of Rs 3.60 crore against the market price of Rs 1,767 crore. The matter is currently locked in the court battle.MVA proposes to checkmate BJP by targeting former minister Pankaja Munde in the Rs 206 crore chiki scam and also disclose irregularities in the distribution of uniforms to students in tribal areas. Moreover, the ruling alliance will also take on Fadnavis, who has received bail from the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court in a case pertaining to not disclosing two offences in the poll affidavit.

Fadnavis had given a clean chit to all the ministers whose names figured in various scams despite repeated demands by Congress and NCP from the opposition benches. -MVA MINISTER