Ahmedabad: Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil today alleged large scale corruption by Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) in reference to the process of allocation of plots to industries in Dahej and Saykha based GIDC estates.

Holding a press conference at the State Congress headqurters here, Shaktisinh said – ‘Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) in April 2023 invited applications from industries for allocation of plots ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 square metre in size for Sykha GIDC estate, which is a chemical zone where land is highly sought after.’

‘The GIDC received many applications in response to the advertisement. The fix price for the plot was 2,845 per square meter. In June 2023, the GIDC management decided to withdraw the process and rejected all applications and decided to declare Sykha and Dahej GIDCs as saturated GIDC(where demand for plot is higher than supply). And a GR was issued for the same.’

‘When you declare any area or GIDC as saturated; that means there were only few plot available and all the remaining plots in the possession of GIDC would be sold via auction, which would bring in more revenue for the state.’

‘In 2023 in the same area, a leading paint maker Asian Paints bought a plot there at Rs 7000 per square metre, plus stamp duty, transfer charges, lease deed and GST. Another company Meghmani also bought the plot at Rs 8500 per square metre plus other charges.’

‘It may be noted that demand for plots in Saykha and Dahej is massive due to their locations, infrastructure and also due to shortage of land there.’

‘Suddenly before the Lok Sabha polls, in a highly suspicious and mysterious manner, the GIDC management and the industries department in February 2024, reverted its earlier decision of declaring Saykha and Dahej as saturated estates. This was for the first time, the GIDC reverted such a decision.’

‘Both Dahej and Saykha estates were overnight declared unsaturated, which means plots can be allotted at Jantri rate, which is Rs 2,845 per square metre for Dahej and Rs 3,075 per square metre for Saykha estate.’

‘In the year 2022, GIDC had conducted auctions of plots in chemical zone in Jhagadia and Panoli GIDC estates where base prices were fixed at Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,500 per square metre respectively. The auction was successful and all plots were sold immediately. At that time, allotment rate of Jhagadia GIDC was at Rs 1,660 per square metre and for Panoli, it was Rs 2,180 per square metre while in auction, the plots were sold at above Rs 6,000 and for Panoli above Rs 7,500.’

Shaktisinh has demanded that the state government should explain why it had to revert its decision with regard to Dahej and Saykha GIDC estates.At whose behest the board took that decision?Why the government does not want to hold public auctions of the plots available in GIDC estates in Dahej and Saykha.

Shaktisinh claimed that as per the settled law, auction of natural resources should be the most effective method as per the Supreme Court order in the case of coal block allotments and telecom spectrum. Why the same is not being done for land plots in GIDC.

Shaktisinh has also demanded ED, CBI and Income Tax department’s joint probe into the assets and transactions of GIDC’s Niyamal Mandal members. DeshGujarat