Mumbai: The state government on Wednesday announced that land parcels spread over more than 400 hectares in four villages in Panvel will be de-notified, allowing land owners to sell their plots in the private market. Minister Uday Samant made the announcement in the legislative council while responding to a question from BJP MLC Vikrant Patil.
Patil pointed out that the state government had started acquiring land via CIDCO in villages in Panvel, Uran, and Thane tehsils about 50 years ago, for setting up Navi Mumbai. While many landowners were compensated, in some cases where CIDCO did not take possession of the land, no compensation was provided to land owners. But the said land parcels were not de-notified, and owners were not allowed to sell their land in the private market.
“As of now, the cost of land has touched ₹30-40 crore per acre,” said Patil.
In response, Uday Samant said that the state government had decided to de-notify more than 400 hectares of land in the Devicha Pada, Chal, Tondale and Pale Khurd villages in Panvel. A survey will be conducted soon to assess land in other villages, he said.
“We will check if CIDCO needs land in other villages. If CIDCO gives up its claim, the state government will further de-notify land in other villages,” Samant said.
If CIDCO decides to acquire land in other villages, land owners will get 22.5% of the developed land as compensation, the minister said.
CM warns of strict action against money lenders
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday warned that money lenders who exploit farmers will face stringent action, including criminal cases. Loans availed from non-licensed money lenders are invalid and people should come forward to file complaints against such entities, the chief minister said in the legislative council, in response to questions raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Milind Narvekar, Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap and NCP (SP) MLC Shashikant Shinde.
The opposition MLCs slammed the government over a farmer in Chandrapur allegedly selling his kidney to repay a loan taken from a private money lender, and demanded that such money lenders be booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
In response, Fadnavis said that while a special investigation team was probing the Chandrapur incident, the state government will cancel licenses of money lenders involved in exploiting farmers by charging exorbitant interest rates.
“Money lenders who don’t have licenses are considered illegal and loans given by them are invalid. So people should come forward to report such cases. As far as licensed money lenders are concerned, the state government will take stringent action against those involved in exploiting farmers by charging very high interest rates. The government will examine such cases and if needed, cancel the license of such money lenders and file criminal cases against them,” Fadnavis said.
316 ZP officials suspended over bogus certificates
The state government has initiated disciplinary action including suspension against 316 officers and employees of various zilla parishads who had submitted bogus permanent disability certificates to get jobs under the Divyang quota, social justice and empowerment minister Atul Save has informed the legislative council via a written reply.
Save was responding to a question from BJP MLC Shrikant Bharatiya, who sought details of zilla parishad employees who had availed benefits under the disability quota. Save informed the house that verification carried out in 28 zilla parishads had revealed that several officials had no valid disability certificates, some had submitted fake certificates, and others had disability below the mandatory 40% mark, required to avail reservation and benefits under the Divyang quota.
A total of 10,922 zilla parishad officers and employees had claimed disability status, of which 6,218 employees had been verified so far, Save said. During the verification process, 316 officials were found ineligible due to absence of valid certification, submission of forged certificates, or disability below the prescribed 40% mark. These officials have been placed under suspension, the minister said.
The state government has also indicated that verification of nearly 5,000 zilla parishad employees was still pending. State social justice department secretary Tukaram Mundhe has issued written instructions to all 34 zilla parishads to conduct a comprehensive verification of disability certificates.