Fact check into allegations against Gujarat CM in land allocation row

Ahmedabad

Since last few days, allegations have been doing rounds, accusing Gujarat Government of giving away land worth Rs 125 crore for Rs 1.5 crore to a firm, that allegedly has links with Anar Patel, daughter of Gujarat Chief Minister Smt Anandiben Patel. The report published in Economic Times claims that Wildwoods Resorts and Realties company was unlawfully allotted 250 acres of land near the Gir lion sanctuary at a rate of Rs 15 per square metre.

However when applied check the claims seem far from the facts.

The company Wildwoods Resorts and Realties was incorporated in 2008, promoted by Sanjay Dhanak (son of Vajubhai Dhanak, an ex-MLA from Janta Dal who later merged in Congress) and Sudhir Ved. In 2009, Harshad Mehta and his wife Naina Mehta came in place of Sudhir Ved, as he exited from the company. Later, between April 2011 and September 2012, shares belonging to Mehtas and Dhanak were purchased by Parshwa Taxchem, promoted by Dakshesh Shah and Anil Infraplus, promoted by Amol Sheth.

Wildwoods’ current promoters, Dakshesh Shah and Amol Sheth happen to be the business partners of Anar Patel, but neither does she hold any equity in any of the above mentioned companies nor is she the director in of those. So to associate her or any of the other family members of Gujarat CM Smt Patel is completely false and completely politically motivated.

Congress has made allegations that the land transaction was made when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was Gujarat’s CM, “without any valuation or price determination for a pittance”. However the details of the facts related to this land allocation are different and due procedure of the state government was followed at every stage involved in the allocation. Let us look into the facts.


Facts of land allocation:

An MOU was signed between Wildwoods Resorts and Realties and the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd for developing a wildlife tourist resort in Dhari Taluka of Amreli district, investing around Rs 80 crore for the purpose. For this purpose, Collector Amreli allocated land admeasuring around 99 ha on 6-12-2008, in accordance with District level Valuation Committee Report. Out of 13 parcels allocated, 10 were valued at Rs 60,000 per ha and 3 at Rs 1.5 lakh per ha. On 27-8-2009, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd recommended the allocation of around 100 ha government waste land to Wildwoods. Following this, on 14-12-2009, forest department of Gujarat accorded its NOC for establishing and operating resort at village Patla in Dhari, Amreli district.

The proposal was reviewed by Chief Town Planner in accordance with State Level Valuation Committee and recommended the land allocation at Rs 1.5 lakh per ha for all 13 land parcels on 12-1-2010. Thus the total value of the land was pegged at Rs 1,49,22,360. Since the value crossed over a crore, as per the policy of the state government, it was submitted to the Cabinet for its approval. The value of the land was then finalised to be Rs 1,67,13,043, and the final order was issued by Collector Amreli on 27-10-2010. Wildwoods had privately acquired different 16 parcels of village Patla of approximately 180 acres in 2009 after obtaining due permission from the state government on 1-12-2008.

Government of Gujarat had then made a recommendation to MoEF, GOI, on 27-8-2015 for including certain area of the allocated land in eco-sensitive zone. It is to be specially noted that the land in question has not been spared or taken out of the proposed eco-sensitive zone.

The above facts clearly state that both private and government land was allotted as per the rules and regulations and according to the prevailing policies and procedures of the state government, without any favours to any individual and company involved.

On the contrary:

Government of Gujarat has come out with a GR dated 1-7-2015 that prohibits construction of resorts and other construction activities within 1 km of specified areas like Gir sanctuary. This may affect the land in question. Since no resort has been constructed till now, any revised plan of construction will have to abide by prevailing norms related to eco-sensitive zone as well as the rules of Forest and Revenue Department.

These facts and figures related to the land allocation reveal desperate attempts to malign Gujarat CM, falsely implicating her daughter into it.

– DeshGujarat