Gandhinagar:Congress today alleged the then Gujarat government headed by Narendra Modi had offered land at higher rate to a trust which wanted to build a cow shelter in area near Gir Sanctuary but allotted land in the same location at “throwaway” rates to a private firm, whose partners were linked with Anar Patel.
However, the BJP dismissed the allegations and said all rules were complied with in allotment of the said land.
Congress demanded resignations of the Prime Minister as well as incumbent Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on “moral grounds” over the controversial land allotment to entities associated with the latter’s daughter Anar.
Senior leader Arjun Modhwadia claimed that the BJP-led government charged “high jantri rates” from a trust which wanted to build the cow shelter in Amreli district whereas the private firm was given land at throwaway jantri rates (market price of the land fixed by government).
He said altogether 245.62 acres of government-owned land, worth Rs 122 crore, in Patla village in Dhari taluka of Amreli was alloted to Wildwoods Resort and Realities Pvt Ltd in 2010 when Narendra Modi was chief minister and Anandiben the Revenue Minister.
“Wildwoods was given land for just Rs 15 per sq m, while ‘Murlidhar Gau Seva Trust’ which wanted to set up cow shelter there was offered jantri rate of Rs 671 per sq m. This shows the double standards of this government,” alleged Modhwadia.
“We demand that an SIT appointed by either High Court or Supreme Court should investigate the entire matter. Till the findings do not come, both PM and CM should step down from their posts on moral grounds,” said Modhwadia.
Reacting to the allegations, state unit BJP spokesperson I K Jadeja said, “Allegation by Congress that land was alloted under any political pressure is baseless. All the rules were followed in that process. The land sought by the Trust (for cows) was near the national highway and rates were fixed by State Level Valuation Committee based on the location of the place.