Mumbai: Facing a Lokayukta probe over alleged irregularities in clearing a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) proposal, Housing Minister Prakash Mehta was on Wednesday removed from the post of guardian minister of Raigad district.
A relatively new face from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Minister of State for Ports, IT, Medical Education, and Food and Consumer Protection, Ravindra Chavan, was appointed in his place.
According to sources, the move was inevitable as Mr. Mehta is alleged to have made no visits to the district, nor had he attended district planning meetings in his capacity as the guardian minister.
Mr. Mehta’s alleged sour relations with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also played a role in his ouster.
Raigad is one of the most important districts in terms of attracting investments and projects from the industrial development point of view.
Mr. Fadnavis had ordered a Lokayukta probe in Mr. Mehta’s case following news reports that the minister had cleared an SRA proposal, which allowed the transfer of extra building rights granted to slum dwellers at M. P. Mill compound, to a scheme for project-affected people. Mr. Mehta had allegedly noted on a file that the change had been informed to the CM.
Mr. Chavan, MLA from Dombivli, was in-charge of party affairs for the municipal corporation elections at Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Mira-Bhayander, Panvel, and Bhiwandi. The party won in all, but Bhiwandi.
This is the second change of guardian ministers in a week. Shiv Sena leader and Transport Minister Divakar Raote was removed from the post of Osmanabad’s guardian minister and replaced by Sena’s Minister of State, Arjun Khotkar.
