Slamming former IPS officer and lawyer Yogesh Pratap Singh for levelling “baseless accusations” at him, Maharashtra Industries Minister and senior Congress leader Narayan Rane on Friday said that all the clearances in the Lavasa Hill city project were given as per law.
Mr. Singh had accused Nationalist Congress Party President (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and his family of being neck-deep in corruption in the controversial housing project, while also alleging inaction on Mr. Rane’s part. Mr. Rane was the State Revenue Minister when the project received the clearances.
“As per Ramesh Kumar[the then Principal Secretary, Revenue Department], there were some irregularities with regard to the transfer of land belonging to tribals to [the] Lavasa Corporation. I had immediately recommended disciplinary action against the concerned official as he had given the approval at his level instead of forwarding the proposal to the State government,” said Mr. Rane, remarking that he had no need to keep commenting on the matter repeatedly as the case was now sub judice .
Based on Mr. Kumar’s report, Mr. Rane said he had also recommended regularisation of the discrepancies under the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act, 1961, the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code 1966 and the Adivasi Land Restoration Act, 1974.
“What is Y.P. Singh’s contribution to society? All he does is keep making allegations based on half-baked information,” Mr. Rane said, adding that investors would cease to invest their money in big projects if such accusations continued to be levelled.
