Congress and NCP demand Prakash Mehta and Subhash Desai resign

Opposition parties Tuesday continued with its demand for resignation of Housing Minister Prakash Mehta and Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Industries Minister Subhash Desai over alleged corruption in projects in their respective departments. Mehta is accused of violating norms in at least three housing projects, Desai is facing charges of irregularities in certain land deals.

Desai has been accused of favouring builders by de-notifying 12,000 hectares of land in government’s possession. He denied this saying that the land, acquired by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), was lying unused, and he released it for the benefit of farmers, the original owners.

Dhananjay Munde (NCP), Leader of Opposition in the Council, and his counterpart in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Congress) today raised the issue of de-notification of MIDC land in Igatpuri area.

“Desai de-notified 12,000 hectares of land from acquisition process and bestowed benefit of Rs 20,000 crore on builders. It is a big scam…it should be probed by a Special Investigation Team,” Munde said in the Upper House, adding that the minister should be removed from the cabinet till the probe is over.