Maharashtra Housing Minister Prakash Mehta on Wednesday landed in trouble, as Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao gave a go-ahead to lokayukta to investigate the alleged irregularities in the permissions given by a slum rehabilitation authority (SRA) project at MP Mills compound at Tardeo in south Mumbai.
The Governor issued a directive to State lokayukta Ml Tahaliyani to investigate the allegations against Mehta, based on a request by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to that effect.
“In a letter to the Governor, the Chief Minister had stated that he had made a statement before both the Houses of State legislature saying that in regard to the allegations against Shri Prakash Mehta pertaining to grant of permission in the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme at the MP Mill Compound of Mumbai, an inquiry would be entrusted to the lokayukta of Maharashtra,” a statement from Raj Bhavan said The Governor ordered investigation against Mehta under Sub Section (3) of Section 17 of the Maharashtra lokayukta and Upa-lokayukta Act, 1971.
Mehta faces the charge of granting of additional FSI under a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme to a private developer at posh Tardeo area in south Mumbai, in violation of DC rules. The allegation is that the private developer concerned stands to benefit to the tune of Rs 500 crore.
It may be recalled that Fadnavis, replying to the allegations by the Opposition in both the Houses of Maharashtra legislature on August 11, had announced that the lokayukta would investigate the charges against Mehta had favoured a private builder by granting extra building rights, originally granted to slum dwellers, to project affected people (PAPs).
Sanctioned in 1996, the SRA scheme meant for the MP Mills compound saw construction of a residential tower and tenements for 2,334 slum dwellers. Sometime in 2009, the state allowed bigger homes of 269 sq ft each for slum dwellers instead of homes admeasuring 225 sq ft each. Taking advantage of this, the builder— S D Corporation—sought additional FSI worth Rs 500 crore for construction elsewhere.
Curiously enough, Mehta made a note on the project file while approving the additional FSI that he had kept the chief minister in the loop about the changes approved.
While announcing a lokayukta probe into the allegations against Mehta, the chief minister had announced on the floor of the State legislature that the minister had not informed him about the approval given by him, as claimed by the latter.
Fadnavis had also said that the lokayukta would go into not just the allegations against Mehta, but would also investigate all the permissions given between 1999-2014 with respect to the MP Mill compound SRA scheme.