According to a report published in English daily DNA, last year, the Gujarat Congress had submitted to Governor Dr Kamla and President Pranab Mukherjee a detailed list of ’17 scams’ that had allegedly taken place under the Modi government.Earlier, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had also criticized the Gujarat government for “imprudent fiscal management”. It had detected massive financial irregularities crossing over Rs 16,706.99 crore in its latest report which the Modi administration deliberately tried to dodge and ultimately tabled it in the House in 2012.
The following is the list of alleged scams submitted by the Congress to the Gujarat governor and the President:
Land for Nano plant at low rate
The state government allotted 1,100 acres of land to Tata Motors Ltd (TML) to set up the Nano plant near Sanand. The land was allotted allegedly at Rs 900 per square metre while its market rate was around Rs 10,000 per square metre. In short, the government gave Tata Motors total monetary benefit of Rs 33,000 crore.
Land sold cheap to Adani Group
Land was allotted to Adani Group for the Mundra Port & Mundra Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Re1 per square metre. This is grossly lower than the market rate.
Cheap land for real estate developer, not for airforce
The Gujarat government allotted 3,76,561 square metre of land to real estate developer K Raheja at Rs 470 per square metre, while the South-West Air Command (SWAC) was asked to pay Rs 1,100 per square metre for 4,04,700 square metre land.
Agricultuure University land allotted for hotel
State government allotted 65,000 square metres of land belonging to Navsari Agriculture University in Surat to Chatrala Indian Hotel Group for a hotel project despite objection from the institute. This deal was allegedly brokered by the chief minister through his office causing a loss of Rs 426 crore.
Border land for chemical firms
A huge plot of land near the Pakistan border was allotted to salt chemical companies said to be close to BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu.
Essar Group’s encroachment
State government has allotted 2.08 lakh square metres of land to Essar Steel. Part of the disputed land is CRZ and forest land that cannot be allotted as per Supreme Court guidelines.
Land given to Bharat Hotel
Prime land was allotted to Bharat Hotels without auction on Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway in Ahmedabad. The company has been allotted 25,724 square metre land.
Corruption in allotment of lakes
State government, in 2008, awarded contracts for fishing activities in 38 lakes without inviting any tenders; bidders were ready to pay Rs 25 lakh per lake.
Land given to L&T
Larson & Toubro (L&T) was allotted 80 hectare land at Hazira at the rate of Re1 per square metre.
Land allotted to other industries
Instead of auctioning prime land in the major cities of the state, the Gujarat government had allotted the land to some industries and industrialists who had signed MoUs in the five editions of VGGIS.
Cattle feed fraud
The Gujarat government had purchased cattle feed from a blacklisted company at Rs 240 per 5 kg; whereas, the market rate is just Rs 120 to Rs 140 per 5 kg.
Scam in Anganwadi centres
Two bidders apparently formed a cartel and bid for supplying supplementary Nutrition Extruded Fortified Blended Food (EFBF) to Anganwadi centres of the state. One company bid for three zones, while the other for only two. Guidelines were violated, causing the state exchequer a loss of Rs 92 crore.
GSPC
Despite an investment of Rs 4,933.50 crore, GSPC has been able to earn only Rs 290 crore from the 13 out of 51 blocks of oil and gas discovered by the company. Contractual relations of Geo-Global and GSPC deserve investigation since Geo-Global is to be hired for a higher fee, above profit-sharing.
Luxury aircraft used by CM
Instead of using commercial flights or state-owned aircraft and helicopter, chief minister Narendra Modi had used private luxury aircraft for around 200 trips in five years. The cost had been borne by the beneficiary industries.
Rs 500 crore SSY scam
The Rs 6237.33 crore Sujalam Sufalam Yojana (SSY) announced in 2003 was to be completed by 2005 but it is still not completed. Public accounts committee of Gujarat assembly unanimously prepared a report indicating a scam of over Rs 500 crore which was not tabled.
Indigold Refinery land scam
Around 36.25 acre farmland in Kutch district was purchased and sold in violation of all norms by Indigold Refinery Ltd.
Swan Energy
49% of the shares of Pipavav Power Station of GSPC were sold to Swan Energy without inviting any tenders.
How far it is true, I don’t know but nobody will accept the scams as these are brought out by the Congress, which has got no moral right to raise the corruption issue being ridden with a series of scams itself which have already been proved with a dozen of ministers already spending in Jail. The Congress after being defeated miserably in the last general election, feels like a fish without water. So all are engaged in defaming the Modi Govt. to deflect attention of the people from their sinful acts.