PIL in HC seeks probe into development deals

Pune, April 28 A city-based advocate and environmentalist Dinesh Gonjare has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, seeking probe against the recent trend of “development agreements” on gram panchayat land. Gonjare has alleged that the agreements are a misuse of owners’ consent and hint at the nexus between the revenue officials and the land mafia.
Gonjare’s PIL draws inputs from media reports about the strong arm tactics favoured by developers in Maval taluka in connivance with revenue officials and the police. In the PIL, Ganjare has named Chief Minister, Revenue Minister, Pune divisional commissioner, district collector and rural superintendent of Police as respondents.
The PIL was filed on April 10, 2008 and the copies were served on the respondents through the district government pleader on April 16 and kept for urgent admission on April 24. The Chief Justice has directed the respondents to file their reply to the PIL within six weeks.
In a press note, Gonjare alleges that the land mafia in and around Pune “are responsible not only for an unprecedented hike in the real estate prices, but also for the inflationary situation and for denuding our forests and ravaging our villages.”
The PIL contends that since agricultural lands can only be sold to an agriculturalist, the land mafia has devised a way around it through “development agreements” by which the owners relinquish all rights over their land except ownership to the developer. Through the PIL, Gonjare has sought that the court should issue a writ order under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution directing the respondents to reply in affidavits, to the serious allegations levelled against them in the media reports. The respondents should also be asked to state the action taken by them to curb the rise of land mafia. The PIL has also sought that the divisonal commissioner and the collector should give details about the purported developers of the development agreements on lands in the gram panchayat, “Patel Watan,” forest, gaonthan and military areas of villages from March 2003-08.
The PIL also demands that the SP of rural police should be directed to submit data about the number of arrests made in Maval, Mulshi and Shirur talukas. The collector should give names of land dealers who were putting pressures on farmers to usurp their lands as mentioned in a news report. CID investigation be initiated and a task force or commission be appointed to probe the issue.
The PIL has also demanded that all existing developer agreements should be stayed till the final decision on the PIL is taken or termed illegal.
Express News Service
Posted online: Tuesday , April 29, 2008 at 11:26:22Updated: Tuesday , April 29, 2008 at 11:26:22