MUMBAI: The cabinet decided to directly allot prime salt pan land in Wadala to the Veer Savarkar Charitable Trust for a primary and secondary educational institution, a minister in the state said on Friday.
Sources said the 6,320 sq m plot worth Rs 75.5 crore was cleared for allotment as a special case though the revenue and finance departments said the state should follow the 2019 revenue dept policy for govt land. The policy mandates that such plots should be advertised.
Over 30 decisions by cabinet ahead of poll date declaration
The decision was among the more than 30 taken by the cabinet during the day in one of the last few meetings before the declaration of the model code of conduct for the assembly election.
The revenue department policy for govt land allotment says only some institutions qualify for "direct allotment". These are renowned organisations, those involved in research activities, those working for the handicapped or financially weak, and educational institutions with domain experience.
In the proposal, the revenue department said that the trust was merely thinking of running a school for poor and disadvantaged students. It said there did not seem to be too many details about the work done by the Veer Savarkar Charitable Trust in the field of education or any special work done by the institution in the field.
It said no proposal had been submitted about the plans of the trust to set up a primary and secondary institution.
The revenue department said the trust did not qualify on the grounds of being a renowned institution.
Just 10 days ago, a political storm erupted over the cabinet decision to directly allot five hectares of land in Koradi, Nagpur, for educational purposes to a trust headed by BJP state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, overriding objections raised by the finance and revenue departments.
In that case too, the finance and revenue departments had said that the Shri Mahalakshmi Jagdamba Sansthan did not qualify for direct allotment and the plot should follow the 2019 policy for land allotment.
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