Pune land scam: Kharge panel seeks more time; no relief to anyone yet, says Bawankule

Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday said the Vikas Khargeled committee probing the alleged Pune land scam has not yet submitted its report ruling out a clean chit to anyone at this stageAccording to the PTI Bawankule was responding to questions over media reports claiming relief to Parth Pawar son of late deputy CM Ajit Pawar in the matterParth Pawarrsquos mother Sunetra Pawar was swornin as the deputy chief minister of state following Ajit Pawars death in a plane crash near BaramatiMundhwa land deal under scrutinyThe sale of 40 acres of land in Punersquos upscale Mundhwa area for Rs 300 crore to Amadea Enterprises LLP where Parth Pawar is a majority partner came under scrutiny after it emerged that the land belongs to the government and could not be sold The firm was also allegedly exempted from paying Rs 21 crore in stamp duty reported PTIThe committee has sought an eightday extension to submit its findings which the government will grant Bawankule told reporters in Chhatrapati SambhajinagarldquoThe report has not been officially submitted to the state government Therefore there is no scope for giving a clean chit to Parth Pawar or anyone else I urge people not to speculate on such a serious issue and confuse the publicrdquo he said reported PTIFivemember committee probing the matterThe fivemember committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Revenue Vikas Kharge is examining alleged procedural lapses in the registration of the purchase deed related to the Mundhwa land The probe focuses on aspects such as valuation documentation and the role of officials involved in the registration processThe panel was constituted in early November amid political controversy and was initially asked to submit its report by December 6 last year The deadline was later extended twice after the committee sought more time to examine records and responses from multiple departmentsWhile earlier indications suggested the panel could submit its report by February 6 Bawankule said on Thursday that an additional extension would now be grantedThe committee also includes the Pune divisional commissioner the commissioner of land registration and director of land records the inspector general of registration and controller of stamps and the Pune district collectorActivists question delaysMeanwhile Punebased RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar criticised the repeated extensions alleging that the probe was being delayed and could eventually turn into a formality In a post on X Kumbhar claimed that officials responsible for preventing alleged irregularities were themselves part of the committee making a fair outcome unlikely He also raised questions over alleged unpaid stamp duty arguing that public revenue could not be protected through ldquoclean chitsrdquo or shell entitiesSocial activist Anjali Damania also questioned the delay in the inquiry In a post on X earlier this month she said that if government functioning continued as ldquobusiness as usualrdquo following Ajit Pawarrsquos death in a plane crash the investigation into the Mundhwa land deal should not be stalled She demanded that the committeersquos report be made public without delayGovernment stanceThe state government however maintained that appropriate action would be taken after the report is formally submittedAsked about the mayoral post in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Bawankule said two to three shortlisted names had been sent to state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan ldquoThe decision will be taken in a core committee meeting todayrdquo he said reported PTIA decision on whether to give the deputy mayorrsquos post to the Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena will also be taken the senior BJP leader addedResponding to a question about the Uddhav Thackerayled Shiv Sena UBT entering the mayoral contest in Mumbai Bawankule said the move would ensure there is no confusion among its corporators about whom to vote forWith PTI inputs