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Maharashtra Leases 1,200 Acres to Firm Linked to Sule Family
The Maharashtra government has leased 1,200 acres of land in Haregaon to a company called Vishwaraj Renewables.
The company is owned by Sarang Lakhani, who is Supriya Sule's son-in-law.
The government order is dated October 5 and states a 49-year lease.
Activist Anjali Damania questioned why the land was given without a tender and raised concerns about the lease terms.
She also said the government had earlier planned a green-energy park on the land through a partnership.
The allotment comes after land was leased to Nibe Group and allotted to the DRDO.
Families whose land was acquired during British rule have continued to seek its return.
Sule said her son-in-law's work and business were his personal matter.
The Maharashtra government leased 1,200 acres in Haregaon to Vishwaraj Renewables Private Limited.
The October 5 order provides for a 49-year lease, while activist Anjali Damania described terms of 48 years, extendable by another 48.
Damania questioned the lack of a tender, the waived security deposit and the change from a proposed green-energy park plan.
The lease follows allotments of 1,500 acres each to Nibe Group and the DRDO for projects.
The allotments have revived a dispute over land originally acquired from local farmers; Supriya Sule said her son-in-law's business was his personal matter.
- Who
- The Maharashtra government and Vishwaraj Renewables Private Limited; activist Anjali Damania criticized the process, and Supriya Sule commented on her son-in-law's business.
- What
- The government leased 1,200 acres in Haregaon to Vishwaraj Renewables.
- Where
- Haregaon village, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra.
- When
- The lease order was issued on October 5.
- Why
- The land was allotted for a private company's project; the order's stated rationale is not detailed in the article.
Criticism of the allotment
Responses and stated position
Tender and lease terms
Criticism of the allotment
Anjali Damania questioned why no tender was floated, whether competitive bidding could have raised the lease amount, and why the security deposit was waived.
Responses and stated position
The article reports the government's allotment order but does not provide a response explaining the tender process or lease terms.
Change in land-use approach
Criticism of the allotment
Damania questioned why a June plan for a green-energy park through Mahaurja under a PPP model was followed by direct allotment to one company, and said the Government Resolution gave no reason for the change.
Responses and stated position
The order followed a meeting involving Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Industries Minister Uday Samant and Environment Minister Pankaja Munde; the article does not state their explanation for the change.
Family connection
Criticism of the allotment
The allotment has drawn attention because Sarang Lakhani is Supriya Sule's son-in-law and the son of BJP MLC Arun Lakhani.
Responses and stated position
Sule said her son-in-law's business and professional activities were his personal matter and declined to comment on them.
Key facts
- Land area
- 1,200 acres
- Lease term
- The order is reported as providing a 49-year lease; Damania described a 48-year term extendable by another 48 years.
- Company
- Vishwaraj Renewables Private Limited, owned by Sarang Lakhani
- Order date
- October 5
- Other allotments
- 1,500 acres to Nibe Group and 1,500 acres to the DRDO
- Earlier plan
- In June, the government decided to develop a green-energy park on the land through Mahaurja under a PPP model.
- Land dispute
- Around 7,376 acres were acquired from local farmers during British rule; original landowners and their families have sought the land's return.
Quotes
Supriya Sule
NCP (SP) Member of Parliament responding to the controversy over the land allotment.
“What business or work my son-in-law does is entirely his personal matter. How can I comment on it?”
NDTV
Sources
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