The Madhya Pradesh government's urban re-densification project has come under scanner with the lokayukta receiving a complaint alleging a Rs. 5000 crore scam in the allottment of a huge tract of land to a private company in Bhopal's most premium area, under the project.
The complainant, local advocate and activist Devendra Prakash Mishra, has alleged the active role of three current ministers in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet, along with two ex-ministers and five IAS officers in the multi-crore land deal.
In his complaint, Mr. Mishra has alleged misuse of power and position by the ministers and bureaucrats in order to provide benefit to an allegedly “unqualified private company”.
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“The state government’s decision to allot 15 acres land in New Market area to a private company under the re-densification scheme has caused a loss of at least Rs 5250 crore in lease rent to the state exchequer,” Mr. Mishra told The Hindu.
The complainant has also maintained that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was kept in the dark and was not aware of the deal, which would cause a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs. 5000 crore to the state exchequer.
“The officials and the ministers, in connivance with the company, subsequently transferred the land to another multinational infrastructure firm through a fraudulent lease deed,” he said.
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RTI documents obtained by him, claims Mr. Mishra in the complaint, reveal that the state government signed a deal of Rs.335 crore with a private firm Deepmala Infrastructure Private Limited, which was allegedly created overnight and had an asset value of only Rs. 1 lakh, for a project costing over Rs. 20,000 crore.
All the required legal clearances were given to the firm within 24 hours by passing all laws, he added.