Armed with documents, Jagtap told a press conference that the surrender came despite stiff opposition from MHADA's Pune unit. Citing a copy of a letter sent by MHADA's Pune office to the then Housing Minister, Chandrakant Khaire, on September 29 last, Jagtap said MHADA had no plot in the city at present to build houses for middle and lower income groups.

Jagtap said MHADA had acquired two plots in Aundh -- one at Survey No.128, (17,528 square metres) and another at survey No. 138 (admeasuring 18,252.36 sq m) -- for a housing scheme at Sanewadi. It had released an advertisement in a local Marathi daily on September 14. In response, 28 persons had paid the required amount to book a flat.

Jagtap said under secretaryAB Hazare, in a letter to Pune MHADA on March 18, instructed the chief executive officer to cancel the advertisement and return the money.

Jagtap said the same day Hazare had sent a letter to land owners Daulat Gaikwad, Indumati Gaikwad and others saying that the Government had accepted their proposal to construct a housing scheme for higher income group. He also mentioned that the Government was cancelling the allotment to MHADA, Jagtap said.

He said the Government could return the plot only if the original owner had expressed willingness to undertake a housing scheme and had MHADA not announced any scheme on it. In this case, not the land owner but Hemant Naiknavare of Naiknavare Associates, who has the power of attorney, had approached the Government and MHADA had already announced a scheme, he said.

Jagtap said the letter to Gaikwads was sent to the address of Naiknavare Associates. He said a copy of the surrender order was also sent to Hemant Naiknavare, not to the land owners. It asks HemantNaiknavare to pay Rs 70.9 lakh MHADA had spent on developing the plot, he said.

Jagtap said the Government surrendered four other plots acquired for MHADA schemes to original owners since November 1995 -- a plot in Hingne Budruk (survey No 30/2 B, (3158.61 sq m) was surrendered on November 14, 1995; a plot in Erandavane (Survey No.8/13, 11041.40 sq m) on March 18 1997; a plot in Lohagao (Survey No.210/1, 16365.40 sq m) on May 6 1997 and a plot in Dapodi (Survey No.11/1, 34069.06 sq m) on December 18, 1996.

Saying that the plots were acquired for MHADA schemes between November 1990 and August 1993, Jagtap alleged that at least three top city builders were involved in the deal. He refused to name them but said he would disclose the names after gathering evidence.

Questioning the government motive, Jagtap wondered if the Housing Development Minister had some interests in the builders. He said he would file a writ in the Bombay High Court challenging the surrender.

Pune City District Congress Committeepresident Mohan Joshi announced that his party would soon launch an agitation against the irregularities taking place with the blessings of Chief Minister Manohar Joshi.