Maha govt to probe land lease scam in Mumbai

Maharashtra government will probe a 'massive land lease scam' in Mumbai, Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil informed the State Assembly today.
Replying to a query by Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Prabhu in the Lower House, the minister said the quantum of revenue loss to the state exchequer in the scam is enough to repay the entire debt burden of the state government.
Over 1,250 properties and lands in Mumbai were given on lease, Patil said. These were sold despite the lease period having ended, by issuing notifications from Mantralaya (during the Congress-NCP regime), he added.
An in-depth inquiry will be conducted in the leased lands and guilty will be punished however powerful they may be, the minister said.

Prabhu alleged that Rs 300 core revenue was lost after the sale of a leased plot on which a mill once stood, in Patel area.
The minister said the district collector has been asked to probe the matter.
BJP MLA Ashish Shelar sought a probe in cases where the leased land was sold to a developer without consent of the government.
Another BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar said the scam is massive and a probe by district collector won't suffice. He demanded that a judicial inquiry be conducted.