Fwd: [ReachIndia] Adarsh Corruption Society: Tale of a Land Scam

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Somu Kumar <somukumar@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 7:15 AM
Subject: [ReachIndia] Adarsh Corruption Society: Tale of a Land Scam
To: AID Outreach <ReachIndia@lists.aidindia.org>

Dear Friends,  It is such a sad state of affairs that corruption is seeped in all levels of governance. High-ranking politicians and bureaucrats in the government involved in such acts of blatant corruption, be it in Common Wealth Games or in the latest Adarsh Housing Society scam, taking away the resources from the rightful owners reiterates the need to weed out corruption comprehensively. While the poor people in Mumbai are constantly thrown out of their small piece of land they been living in for decades and called squatters, what do we call these people who usurp our lands and resources?

Please read the below report from NAPM on the recent Adarsh housing society scam in Maharashtra. 

The Hindu:  http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/31/stories/2010103162741100.htm

"Medha-led campaign exposed scam in 2008"

From: Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan <gbgbandolan@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Oct 30, 2010 at 2:19 AM

GHAR BACHAO GHAR BANAO ANDOLAN                                                                                   30 OCT 2010

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·        NAPM exposed the Adarsh Society Scam in the year 2008 by filing complaints with the Defence, Environment & State Government.

·        On the basis of NAPM's complaint Defence initiated action and Dept of Environment issued show cause notice to Adarsh Society.

·        The nexus of Politicians-Bureaucrats operating to grab every chunk of land exposed.

The recent Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society scam which has exposed the corrupt nexus amongst the politicians and the bureaucrats in order to grab land in Mumbai was exposed by National Alliance of People's Movements availing the information exercising Right to Information(RTI) and had filed a complaint on date 27 August 2008 with the Department of Defence, Government of Maharashtra, Department of Environment, BMC & MMRDA under the leader ship of social activist Medha Patkar and guidance of Ex-IPS officer Adv. YP Singh. Acting upon the complaint, the Ministry of Defence has initiated the enquiry and ordered investigation. The Department of Environment, Maharashtra had served a show cause notice to the Adarsh Co-operative Society.

The land scam is related to allotment of Land at Colaba that was in possession of the Army and after the Kargil War, few army personnel started demanding the land for the building of flats to "accommodate and reward the hero's of Kargil operation and those who had laid down their lives for the protection of the motherland". The initial list of society members comprised of 40 members and included all the defence personnel. Presently the list stands at 103 out of which only 37 members belong to army and that too only 3 members are related to Kargil war. Few of the Bureaucrats & politicians who have fraudulently sneaked themselves or their relatives into the list if members and today own flats are:

BUREACRATS	POLITICIANS
Jairaj Phatak- Ex Municiapl Commissioner	Ashok Chavan, Congress
Ramanand Tiwari, Stae Inforamtion Commissioner	Suresh Prabhu, Shiv Sena
Pradeep Vyas, Collector Mumbai	Jitender Awhad, NCP
Indris Kundan, Collector Mumbai	Kanhaiyalal Gidwani, Congress
Uttam Gobragade, BEST GM	Babasaheb Kupekar, Congress
DK Sankaran, Ex-Chief Sect. Maharashtra	Shriniwas Patil, NCP
CS Sangitrao- Collector Suburban	Krishnarao Patil, Congress
SC Deshmukh, Collector-Pune
Arun Pawar, Ex- Income Tax Comm.
PV Deshmukh, Secretary Urban Development

 

The following concessions were given in lieu:

1. The reservation of the plot modified from Transit Camp & a Parade Ground to Residential Zone.
2. A road of width 60 meters reduced to 19 meters.
3. FSI of the adjoining Bus Depot given to the Adarsh Society.
4. 15 % of the area allowed to used for commercial purpose rather than residential.
5. The income ceiling of Rs 12,500 per month waived off for army personnel and politicians
6. Construction started without obtaining environmental clearance.
7. Occupation Certificate awarded even before the building was fully ready.

 

All these relaxations and concessions were given as it was mentioned every time that the building was for the war widows are for the army personnel who served the mother land, but the fact remains that out of the total of 103 members only 3 are Kargil soldiers, thus the land was taken in the name of the martyrs and used for personnel benefit of the bureaucrats and politicians.

NAPM has exposed the scam to prove and to challenge the corrupt nexus of the builders-politicians-bureaucrats who order the demolition of the houses of the poor slum dwellers saying that they are illegal and are encroachers while they themselves encroach over land meant for the widows. This is deplorable and shocking.

The politicians and the bureaucrats whose names have been disclosed have no moral right in continuing with the offices they hold and also demand that criminal cases be file against all those involved in the scam for cheating and engaging in corrupt practices.

 

Santosh Daonkar                  Simpreet Singh

                                     

For related documents kindly contact: 8976252804      

National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) is an alliance of a large number of people's organizations and movements in India. People's rights over natural resources, appropriate decentralized democratic development, towards a just, sustainable and egalitarian society, with true internationalism is what we assert. Our ideology is against corporate globalization, communalism and religious fundamentalism, casteism, untouchability and discrimination of all kinds, which are some of non-negotiable tenets of NAPM.

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Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
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