Maharashtra Announces Special Vigilance Teams For Land Irregularity Cases

Mumbai: In a major decision meant to curb rising cases of land irregularities in Maharashtra, the state government has announced special vigilance teams that will be set up at the divisional commissioner level. The step comes amid a slew of cases of land irregularities, mining permits, land measurements, stamp duty transactions, and complaints within the revenue department, especially in Pune and Satara districts.

The state government has announced that these teams will include officers from Revenue, Land Records, Mining, Stamp Duty, and other related branches to conduct immediate and in-depth inquiries into serious complaints. 

Announcing new timeframes for conducting inquiries, the government said that preliminary inquiries into specific complaints should be conducted within 30 days, and for serious complaints, the report should be submitted within a few days. 

The government has also mandated a minimum of four officers for conducting any inquiry. It has also warned that departments failing to provide documents may face disciplinary action. 

Mentioning that the objective behind this move is to restore public trust in the administration, the government said that a state-level bi-annual review committee will oversee the progress of these vigilance teams.

However, experts have questioned whether these vigilance teams will function independently and within the given timelines. The step comes amid an investigation into the controversial Rs 300-crore land deal of a Pune firm co-owned by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Pune City police arrested builder Sheetal Tejwani over the illegal sale of government-owned land in Mundhwa. Tejwani's name had surfaced earlier in the case. According to reports, Tejwani held the power of attorney for the government land, allegedly sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP, in which Parth Pawar is a partner. Reports indicated that Tejwani had been summoned twice last month for questioning at the EOW office at the police headquarters. 

According to the police, the case pertains to the alleged illegal Mundhwa land deal in which documents were manipulated to facilitate the transaction. The EOW has been examining financial trails, land papers, and the roles of multiple individuals associated with the deal.

Following the land scam expose, a case was registered at Khadak Police Station on November 7 and then transferred to EOW. Reports indicated that property, allegedly valued as high as Rs 1,800 crore, was sold to a company linked to Parth Pawar for just Rs 300 crore with a nominal stamp duty of only Rs 500, allegedly bypassing proper procedures for government-linked land.

The land in question, approximately 43 acres of government-owned land currently on lease to the Botanical Survey of India, was reportedly sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP.

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