Friday, September 2, 2011

Notice to govt to stay development of lands under M B Shah probe ambit

TheTimesOfIndia 02/09/2011


AHMEDABAD: Bhikhabhai Jethava who sought the appointment of a Lokayukta in a petition before the high court, on Thursday dashed off a legal notice to the state government seeking direction to stay industrial houses from developing plots, that are under the judicial scrutiny of the justice M B Shah commission of inquiry.
The state government set up the inquiry commission by a notification on August 16 to probe 17 different charges leveled by the opposition party against the Narendra Modi government by tendering a memorandum to the governor. Nine of these accusations of corruption are related to allotment of land to different companies to set up industries and hotels.
Jethava is expecting the authorities' reply within three days; else he has threatened to take the issue to the Gujarat high court by filing a writ petition.

Stop Work on Lands Under Probe: Jethva's Father

OutLookIndia 01/09/2011
Bhikhalal Jethava, father of the slain RTI activist Amith Jethava, today sent a legal notice to Gujarat government seeking a freeze on development activities on all lands, the allotments of which are being probed by the M B Shah Commission for alleged irregularities.

The Narendra Modi government, on August 17, appointed Justice Shah, a retired judge, to head a commission of inquiry to probe allegations of corruption; especially those levelled by the Gujarat Congress against state government in a memorandum submitted to the President earlier.

The allotments under the commission's scanner include ones to the Tata (for Nano plant), Adani Group (for Mundra Port and Mundra Special Economic Zone), Essar Group, L&T (in Hazira, Surat) and other allotments to the industrialists near major cities.

Jethava, through his lawyer Anand Yagnik, has sent a notice to the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, demanding that a notification be issued to stop development on these lands.

"It is necessary that till the Commission completes its inquiry...And makes recommendations, all the allottees be directed not to develop the land," Jethava's notice said.

"If the allottees are permitted to develop the land in question, then the inquiry will be inconsequential," it said.

Jethava's notice further stated that if the industries put up constructions on these lands, then irrespective of the outcome of commission's inquiry, it would be difficult for the government to take them back and put them to another use.

Amit Jethava, a Right To Information Act activist who carried on a campaign against illegal mining in Gir sanctuary area, was shot dead last July.