Cash News
The Maharashtra Cabinet on Monday turned down the revenue department’s proposal for “direct allotment” of 5 hectares of land (12.35 acres) in Nagpur for educational purposes to a public trust headed by State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, following strong objections by the finance department headed by Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar.
While objecting to the revenue department’s proposal — based on the demand of the Shri Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Sansthan, Koradi — the finance department said the “trust does not seem to be active in higher and technical education”.
The revenue department, which is headed by Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of the BJP, has now instructed the trust to follow government procedure for allocation of land to public trusts.
When contacted, Bawankule said it was an old trust and he was the president for only two years. “This is not a personal matter. I am working for a religious cause. This is noble work. Our trust will pay the ready reckoner rate of the land, and take it on lease. This will not be my personal property,” he said.
He declined to comment on the finance department’s remarks, saying it was administrative work. “We will not be doing any illegal work and will follow every rule,” he said.
The issue dates back to November 29, 2023, when the trust had sought the land through its secretary, Dattuji Samaritkar, for constructing a junior college, science-arts-commerce college, and technical and nursing education college as skill development centres.
In its note in Marathi to the Cabinet on Monday, the finance department referred to the guidelines for allotment of land for social, educational, health and charity purposes, as detailed in the revenue department’s policy dated July 25, 2019.
“…as per point 10, the said trust is not involved in research activities. However, it works for divyang and deprived sections of society… (the work) is in between and based on the situation… the said work does not require permanent land,” it said.
It also referred to point 11, which is related to proceedings for allotment of land for educational institutions active in higher and technical education.
“As per the report from District Collector, Nagpur, procedure to initiate junior college and science-arts-commerce college under Shri Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Sansthan, Koradi, is underway… as per the report, the said trust does not seem to be active in higher and technical education,” the finance department said in its note, while also pointing out that Bawankule is the president of the trust.
The trust “does not qualify the criterion of being a renowned institution for which exception can be made… Based on this, the finance department opposes the direct allotment of land to the said trust,” it said.
Following the finance department’s objections, the revenue department changed its original proposal on allotment of land, and directed the trust to follow the procedure as mandated by the policy instead.
According to the 2019 policy, after listing the available land parcels, the district collector will present a proposal for possible use of land, which will be scrutinised by the state government. After the conditions for allotment are finalised, the district collector will seek applications by publishing advertisements.
The collector’s office will carry out the primary scrutiny of applications, following which a shortlist will be sent to the divisional commissioner, who will then forward it to the government.
However, some can qualify for “direct allotment”, including individuals with exceptional qualities, renowned organisations, those involved in research activities, working for divyang and deprived individuals, and educational institutions involved in higher and technical education who require adjacent government land parcels.
There have been cases in the past when the Cabinet has overruled the finance department’s objections, to clear land allotment. Last month, the Cabinet approved a proposal to lease prime land in South Mumbai near Mantralaya, measuring 2,995.75 square metres, to a non-profit organisation called Jain International Organisation for 30 years to build a primary and secondary school, despite the finance department’s objections.
In another case, a 2,566.57 square metres MHADA plot in the prime Sion area (South Central Mumbai) was leased to Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank, of which BJP leader Pravin Darekar is the chairman, despite the finance department’s negative remarks.