NCP today demanded an inquiry by the anti-corruption bureau into the permissions granted to Palava housing project in neighbouring Thane, following the reports that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had withdrawn additional FSI worth Rs. 3,000 crore given to the venture.
Senior BJP MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha’s firm is constructing this township project. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed that the company paid a very little premium to get additional Floor Space Index. “Fadnavis cancelled the approval for this project after the illegalities came to light…scrutiny papers of the project are missing. This should be investigated,” he said.
To the question whether the former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan (of Congress), who held the urban development portfolio during the relevant period, should be held accountable, Malik said only a probe will establish the truth. “We are not casting aspersions on anyone,” he said.
The NCP leader also demanded special audit of the Jalyukt Shivar (water conservation on the farms) Yojna, Fadnavis’s pet scheme, within fifteen days. He also criticised Fadnavis for hosting a dinner for corporate leaders and officials of consulates in Mumbai tonight, when the state was reeling under a drought, and accused that the Chief Minister was insensitive to the farmers’ plight.
