AAP questions Khadse's decision on land transaction in Pune

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) here today accused former Maharashtra revenue minister and BJP leader Eknath Khadse of unduly favouring a city-based firm in connection with a land transaction, a charge refuted by him.

AAP leader Preeti Sharma Menon alleged that the transaction led to "windfall gains" for ABIL, a firm belonging to real estate baron Avinash Bhosale.

As per a Government Resolution (GR) of 1951, government's

permission was needed for transferring the lease of a parcel of the land, on which the Vijayanagar Society now stands, to anybody other than society's existing members, she said.

"The GR further states that it is the government policy
 

to claim 50 per cent of the profit in case of a transfer," she added.

However, a deal of transfer for a plot was signed by ABIL

MD Amit Bhosale, and others on October 29, 2012, without prior government approval and without paying government taxes, she alleged.

NGO Bhrastachar Virodhi Gandhigiri Jan Andolan had filed

a case against Bhosale, who owns plot number 2 in the society where ABIL office now stands, and Sunil S Patil, who owns plot number 15, before the Additional Collector in 2014, she said.

The Additional Collector had held that prima facie the GR had not been followed, and ordered further inquiry.

However, Menon alleged that Bhosale and Patil filed an appeal before the Revenue Minister's office in January, and Khadse stayed the order without hearing the NGO's plea.

The order should be revoked and Bhosale and Patil should

be made to pay the government taxes, and further a commission be appointed to identify all such transactions at Vijayanagar Society which has about 200 plots, she demanded.

Khadse -- who had resigned from the state cabinet earlier

this year over a string of allegations against him including a questionable land deal by his family -- denied any wrongdoing.

"These are baseless, politically motivated allegations and I am going to file defamation case against Sharma," he said.

ABIL too refuted the allegations. "Police have already submitted their investigation report on the said subject to the court, so let us wait for the court's decision. These allegations are baseless and we would be filing a defamation case against them," said Amit Bhosale.