MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader of opposition (LoP) in the legislative council Ambadas Danve demanded that CM Devendra Fadnavis scrap the Rs 900 crore housing project in Jalna being carried out by CIDCO over irregularities and graft charges.
Danve has demanded that a high level committee must be set up to probe the role of officials and consulates involved in the project.
Fadnavis has already ordered a probe and asked CIDCO to submit a report about the project that was approved by Eknath Shinde when he was CM and Urban Development minister which controls CIDCO.
Officials said the Jalna housing project was scrapped in 2020 over feasibility issues but it was revived in 2023 following a new report by a consulting firm when Shinde was heading the UD department and controlled CIDCO as CM.
While political observer sad that the Sena was seeing red over the probe ordered by Fadnavis, DCM Shinde on Thursday said that he will find out about the probe ordered by Fadnavis and claimed that he had started projects for public interest when he was CM, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were deputy chief ministers.
“I am requesting that the process adopted for the implementation of the project should be investigated by a high level committee and the project should be canceled immediately and relevant officials and employees who are misleading the govt to implement the project should be instructed to be suspended immediately,” Danve said in his letter to Fadnavis.
“How can a project suddenly become viable after a few years after it was clear that it was not viable earlier? What is the difference between the new report and the previous report? While it is necessary for the govt to explain this transparently, it has been deliberately ignored. Also, before the commencement of the project, due to the financial interest of some businessmen with officials the plan of the project was made available to them. Businessmen bought lands to be acquired for the project from the farmers at a bargain price and immediately these lands were converted into residential areas. Now these lands are fetching crores of rupees. Due to the collusion of concerned officials, brokers and vested interests, the native landholders and peasants will be deprived of economic benefits,” Danve said.
