Mumbai: BJP on Saturday demanded scrapping of the allotment of two plots of prime land in Andheri, reserved for a primary school, to a firm of Union minister Rajiv Shukla for a "paltry" amount.
In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya said, "It is shocking that the Maharashtra Government allotted two plots worth more than Rs 100 crores for just Rs 98,735."
However, Shukla rejected Somaiya`s charges saying there was no question of any favour done by the government or anyone. He, in fact, said the government could take back the land if it feels any favour has been done.
"First of all this land is reserved for primary school for poor children. So where is the question of having commercial benefit or commercialisation of the land," he said in his reaction to Somaiya`s claims.
In his letter, Somaiya said "We demand immediate scrapping of the allotment and taking back possession of the land by the government," he said.
"An organisation which has not done much, has done nothing in Mumbai were handed over two plots as Shukla is a Congress minister and close to the Gandhi family," he said.
"We want an investigation of the whole issue," he said.
BAG Films Education Society (BFES) had got the first plot for Rs 98,735 in 2008, he said. In addition to this, a 3,534.70 sq m plot adjacent to the first one, reserved for a playground, was allotted to BFES on a 15-year lease for just Rs 6,309, he said.
Anuradha Prasad is the chairperson of the Society, while Rajiv Shukla, her husband, was secretary when the society applied for the plots in 2007, he said.
Shukla said there were slums on the land and for last six years they have not got even the physical possession of the land.
"So where is the question of any favour by government or anyone. If at all the government thinks that there is any favour they can take back the land as I have no intention of getting any commercial favour from it," he said.
