Shinde cleared land for 16 people despite opposition by NIT chief, legislator, activist

Nagpur: In the case of the Harpur land meant for housing for poor, CM Eknath Shinde had in his capacity as urban development minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government passed an order directing Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) to lease and hand over possession of 2,08,079.73 sq ft land to 16 persons despite objections raised by current NIT chairman Manoj Kumar Suryawanshi, a legislator, and an activist. Four days before the urban development department (UDD) sent an order to NIT, Suryawanshi had sent a letter to the department informing it that NIT will incur huge financial loss if the land valued at Rs68 crore is not recovered.
TOI had reported recently that Shinde passed an order on April 20, 2021, directing NIT to execute lease and hand over possession of the land acquired by NIT for housing for poor to 16 persons. The order was passed despite a case related to the said land pending in the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court. Due to Shinde’s order, NIT got less than Rs2 crore for land worth over Rs83 crore.
On April 27, UDD sent a letter to NIT directing it to implement Shinde’s order. In reply to telephonic orders of principal secretary of UDD, Suryawanshi, in the letter on April 23, stated, “People will benefit to a great extent if the government implements public scheme on the land. More than one plot is in the name of one person of one family in this case. The land is owned by NIT, so it cannot be regularized under Gunthewari Act,” Suryawanshi said.
About six-seven months after Shinde’s order, NIT had executed the lease with 16 persons and also handed over possession of the land.
On April 17, 2017, the then NIT chairman had approved regularization of land to 16 persons with certain terms and conditions. Condemning the decision, on May 28, 2017, the then BJP MLA from South Nagpur Sudhakar Kohle had requested UDD to cancel the order of chairman and implement public scheme. “NIT is planning regularization of illegal transactions done by land mafias going against the norms. NIT had acquired the land by giving compensation. Poor people will benefit if the land is used for construction of housing scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY),” he said.
On December 14, 2017, activist Kamlesh Shah had lodged complaint with Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) demanding an inquiry and action against NIT officials for taking decision to regularize unauthorized layouts of private persons on land owned by the civic agency and acquired for housing for poor. Taking cognizance of Shah’s complaint, ACB had on May 29, 2018, written a letter to principal secretary of UDD asking it to take appropriate action on the complaint. “Please send a clear opinion whether it is a case of corruption or not,” ACB stated.
Shinde had conducted hearing in this case on March 25, 2021. During the hearing, the then chairman had also registered strong objection to leasing out land to 16 persons.