Scrap all transactions of Navi Mumbai land, Nirupam to Maha CM

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam today demanded that all transactions related to the Navi Mumbai land in the midst of an alleged scam be scrapped and not just stayed as ordered by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Nirupam was speaking to reporters after visiting the 24-acre plot of land in question at Ranjanpada-Ove in Kharghar in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

The Mumbai Congress chief reiterated his demand that then City and Industrial Development Corporation MD Bhushan Gagrani, the Raigad District Collector, Additional Collector and Panvel Tehsildar be suspended with immediate effect.

"The CM is repeatedly changing his stand which proves that either he was unaware of the scam, which is laughable, or else he is pretending to, which is clearly perjury and lies. He has been denying the possibility of this scam and now has been forced to eat his words," Nirupam said.

He reiterated that, as per government documents, Ove is part of the 95 villages that come under CIDCO.

While the Congress has been maintaining that the land in question belonged to CIDCO, the BJP has said that it was owned by the state government.

"The land belongs to CIDCO and its developmental planning rights are with CIDCO. Hence, the District Collector (Raigad) has no right to sell this land," Nirupam claimed.

"The land which belongs to the department headed by the CM himself has been illegally sold by the District Collector (Raigad) to a private firm, Paradise Builders, at a throwaway price. The CM should now accept that this land transaction is a big scam," Nirupam alleged.

"Instead of ordering a stay on this land deal, the entire deal should be scrapped with immediate effect," he demanded.

He further demanded that a committee, comprising two retired High Court judges, should be appointed to probe the case.

Fadnavis had yesterday announced a stay on all transactions related to the land.

Making a brief statement in the Legislative Council, Fadnavis had said the land cannot be sold or leased out till the judicial inquiry is complete.

He also instructed the revenue department to ensure that no third party interest is created and no further transactions are done in this case till the inquiry is completed.