21 January,2011 07:22 AM IST | | Vivek Sabnis
The District Collectorate has decided to take legal action against the illegal land transactions made by the Lavasa Corporation in the areas within their jurisdiction. This, after the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) observed that Lavasa had violated green laws.
"We have made the same observations as MoEF, and are taking stern action against illegal deals, especially those involving ceiling land. Such transactions have taken place in large numbers," said Chandrakant Dalvi, District Collector. "Those involved will certainly be punished by making use of the law of this land."
Like the MoEF Committee, another panel was also appointed by the state government to study the charges levelled against Lavasa. "The MoEF and our committee were working together," Dalvi said. "The other government departments including PWD, irrigation, forest, town planning will also take legal action, wherever their rules have been flouted by the project."
S R Suniti, national convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), said that many landless farmers were affected. "There is 170 such ceiling land holders in a total 609 hectares of which 98 are tribals. "These landless farmers were deliberately kept in the dark and their lands were sold to the middlemen appointed by Lavasa," she pointed out.
It is also alleged that the state government had 'diverted' additional ceiling land of 372 hectares to Lavasa as per the recommendation given by the revenue department. "We have already stopped the process of diverting this land to the Lavasa Corporation," said Dalvi.
Dnyaneshwar Shedge, a local farmer, said he was cheated by a middleman and not returned his money or the land. "I am waiting for justice from the court," he said.
