A decision by Gujarat government to allot land five years ago to a company which allegedly has close business links with Anar Patel, daughter of Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, left, kicked up a political storm on Friday with the Congress using it to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In 2010, Gujarat government is believed to have allotted 250 acres of land next to Gir Lion Sanctuary to Wildwoods Resorts and Realties Pvt Ltd for setting up a resort which was allotted at a price of Rs 15 per square metre or Rs 60,000 per acre.
Latching on to the controversy, Congress targeted the prime minister and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored special investigation team probe and resignation of the Gujarat CM.
Asking Modi to ‘come clean’ on the issue, the party sought to know from him whether he was aware of ‘clear conflict of interest’ of the then revenue minister Anandiben while allocating government land near Gir Lion Sanctuary to the company which allegedly has close business links with Anar.
“Was this allocation based on a Cabinet decision and endorsed by (then) chief minister (Modi) and whether conflict of interest, if any, was disclosed?” asked senior Congress leader Anand Sharma at the All India Congress Committee briefing.
In a Facebook post, Anar said, ‘I strongly believe that to do ethical business with social morality is everyone’s right.’
‘So far, whatever I did, I did it in righteous manner. I get hur when people have assumptions and judgments for one’s morality,’ she wrote.
Sharma said the issue would definitely be raised in the budget session of Parliament as it pertained directly to the prime minister ‘who has claimed that he has zero tolerance towards corruption’.
Sharma said the truth will emerge only through an independent probe by a Supreme Court-monitored SIT as agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate cannot be trusted.
“We demand that an SIT monitored by the Supreme Court be established for a time-bound probe in the entire matter. For a fair probe, the Gujarat CM must resign,” he said.
Sharma said the total price of the land added up to only Rs 1.5 crore whereas the estimated market price of this land was to the tune of Rs 50 lakh per acre -- a total of Rs 125 crore for 250 acres.
The company then purchased adjoining agricultural land measuring 172 acres taking the total of land owned by it to 422 acres, Sharma alleged.
As non-farmers are not permitted to purchase agricultural land, the company was granted permission to purchase private agricultural land. In March, 2011, the state government permitted conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural as purchased by the company.
He said one of the partners of the company transferred Wildwoods to another company.
He alleged that two promoters of two companies are said to be business partners of Anar Patel.
Meanwhile, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat came out in support of the chief minister and said the charges levelled by the Congress against her were false and fabricated.
Anandiben’s kin was not in the picture when the land was allotted, it said.
The BJP said the main opposition party does not have any proof to prove alleged irregularities in land allotment.
In a statement issued in Ahmedabad, state BJP spokesperson I K Jadeja said the allegations are a ‘heinous’ attempt by the Congress to unnecessarily drag the CM and her daughter into the issue and malign their public image.
‘These are baseless allegations by Congress as they have failed to provide any proof to back their claims. All procedures were followed in allotting that land. Cabinet approved the allocation only after valuation was done through a foolproof three-tier system,’ said Jadeja.
In her Facebook post, Anar said she is a qualified businesswoman and has dedicated more than two decades to social service.
‘My husband and I dedicated more than 22 years in social service. My husband devoted his life for the cause of sanitation. To take care of family needs, in 2008 I did masters in business administration and entered business. I strongly believe that to do ethical business with social morality is everyone’s right,’ she wrote.
