MUMBAI, Nov 23: Avinash Dharmadhikari, former aide to Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, today disclosed that he had warned Joshi against clearing the "shady" Sahara housing project. The high-profile bureaucrat-turned social worker asked the Sena-BJP government to make public the entire correspondence and agreements between Sahara India Housing Limited (SIHL) and the State in connection with the multicrore hill station tourism project near Lonavala in Pune district.

``At least in public interest, the State Government should make public the entire correspondence as well as agreements between it and SIHL. It will also prove that the administration is transparent as has been claimed by the government,'' Dharmadhikari told The Indian Express.

An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official of the 1986 batch, Dharmadhikari quit the job in March 1996 to take up social work with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare. His last assignment was Deputy Secretary to the Chief Minister.

``As an Additional Collector of Pune district, I examined each and every file connected with SIHL's tourism project. Later, I submitted a comprehensive report to the Pune Divisional Commissioner as well as the Chief Secretary. Subsequently, when I joined the Chief Minister's office, I briefed both Joshi and Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde about specific illegalities committed by SIHL. Unfortunately, both Joshi and Munde ignored my submissions. I am more shocked at the attitude of Joshi, who is now virtually advocating the project,'' Dharmadhikari added.

In fact, prior to Joshi's meeting with SIHL officials, Dharmadhikari had cautioned the Chief Minister that the ``shady'' project should not be cleared unless thoroughly probed by competent officials, particularly from the urban development and home departments.

Reacting to Munde's statement that he had asked the Additional Director General of Police (Crime) to probe into the antecedents of the farmers from whom SIHL had obtained power of attorney, Dharmadhikari said it was too late. ``Munde's reaction is very slow. When I officially went to brief him about these farmers after he took over as Deputy Chief Minister, he had specifically said that he was aware of their background. His statement now clearly indicates that during two-and-half years of Sena-BJP rule, the State Government has not taken any concrete steps to halt the project,'' Dharmadhikari pointed out.

``In my report to the Pune Divisional Commissioner in August 1994, I had specifically recommended that a high-level probe should be conducted into all the land transactions in Mulshi and Mawal tehsils since there was a possibility of involvement of criminal money,'' Dharmadhikari said.

He said it all began in June 1994 when as the Pune AC, he had received an anonymous letter giving details of some of the major land transactions in Mulshi and Mawal tehsils of Pune district. The letter also stated that 58 farmers from Lucknow had either purchased or were planning to purchase huge tracts of agriculture land. ``Since I was empowered to probe, I began preliminary inquiry into the allegations. I personally visited the offices of talathis in these two tehsils. The details mentioned in the anonymous letter were confirmed by myself. I also found that there was gross violation of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, Agriculture land (Ceiling on Holding) Act, Bombay Tenancy Act and the guidelines prescribed under the proposed regional development plan for Pune district,'' Dharmadhikari said.

He said in normal course, these transactions should not have been legalised as under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, purchasing agriculture land by a non-agriculturists has been prohibited. ``I had brought these issues to the notice of then Pune Divisional Commissioner V P Rane as well as Revenue Secretary, but neither took any corrective steps,'' he added.

Launching a frontal attack on the alliance government, Dharmadhikari said in a gross violation of Bombay Tenancy Act, huge tracks of land purchased for agricultural purposes was now being utilised for tourism projects. ``Under the existing legislation, if there is change of use, the land automatically stands forfeited,'' he informed. When he visited SIHL's site near Lonavala in his capacity as Additional Collector, the company willingly submitted to him all the documents, particularly those related to registration.

However, when he sought the list of witnesses who signed before the sub-registrar, they refused to cooperate. Though they never claimed that they were unwilling to part with the documents, they also did not present him the same, Dharamadhikari said.

``Under the law, the registration of land transactions has to be done in presence of two witnesses. In case of SIHL, the moment we know the names of the witnesses, the entire link will be exposed. Let the people know as to who introduced the Lucknow farmers to Maharashtra,'' he said. Referring to the report of the Warty Committee, Dharmadhikari said it should be outrightly rejected. ``All the illegal and unauthorised constructions in Mulshi and Mawal tehsils should be demolished immediately,'' he said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.