Subhash Desai, Eknath Khadse take potshots over ‘MIDC’ plot

State industries minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai and revenue minister and senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse have taken pot shots at each other over a controversy arising over a land purchase by Mr Khadse’s family.

Pune-based builder Hemant Gawande has claimed that Mr Khadse had purchased land in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area of Bhosari in Pune worth crores at a paltry rate by abusing his power. Mr Desai concurred with Mr Gawande that Mr Khadse had erred, but the BJP minister said that the plot was freehold land and his family had the right to purchase it.

Mr Desai on Monday put Mr Khadse in a tight corner, stating that Bhosari land belongs to the MIDC. He said that the land was acquired by the MIDC in the 1970s and it had allotted plots to industrial houses.

“There are around 8 to 10 industries that are working on the said plot (Survey No. 52/2A/2). Mr Khadse has no right to purchase land owned by the MIDC,” said Mr Desai. However, the Sena leader added that he was not aware about the motive behind Mr Khadse’s actions, or whether he had made the purchase intentionally. “Mr Khadse is the senior minister and he should be aware of the laws that state nobody can purchase land acquired by the MIDC,” he said.

Seeking to refute Mr Desai, Mr Khadse produced a set of documents before mediapersons and delved into the history of the plot. The senior BJP minister said, “Abbas Ukani, a 90-year-old person from Calcutta, is the original owner of the land. The MIDC acquired the piece of land, admeasuring 6.58 hectares for industrial purposes in 1968. However, it did not finalise the award of the land and did not compensate Mr Ukani for his land until 2010.”

Mr Khadse said, “According to the MIDC Act, if the award is not finalised within the stipulated period of 40 years from the date of land acquisition, the process of acquisition automatically lapses. In the case of Bhosari land, the period was of 42 years and hence MIDC does not have any claim over the land. In fact, MIDC has encroached upon private land and allotted to industries without permission.” The revenue minister added that Mr Desai had been misguided by his officials and given half-baked information.

Furthermore, he buttressed his argument claiming that his son-in-law had purchased the freehold land and paid stamp duty according to the Ready Reckoner rate.

Meanwhile, Mr Gawande filed a complaint against Mr Khadse in the MIDC police station on Monday.

Mr Khadse also had a meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya on Monday. However, CMO sources as well as Mr Khadse’s office said that the meeting had nothing to do with any of the controversies surrounding Mr Khadse, but the two leaders had met to finalise the party’s candidates for the state Legislative Council elections.