Team Herald
PANJIM: Reacting to the Herald report on the Shiroda land sale, former Congressman Subhash Shirodkar who joined BJP this week, said that the amount earned by the land deal is his rightful money.
“That land deal is my rightful money. Nobody can question me for that as I have also suffered a lot due to delay in the land acquisition,” Shirodkar said, replying to queries at a press conference.
Explaining the sequence of events, Shirodkar said he purchased the land through a loan in 2006. “In 2011-12 when my institution went through financial issues, I started selling plots. However, that time Mahadev Naik, who was the MLA, maybe thought if I get money I would surpass him politically and immediately in 2012 he started land acquisition process for the land,” Shirodkar explained.
The former GPCC president explained that the government did not leave even an inch of land. “Total 1.84 lakh sq mt land was acquired for Shiroda industrial phase II. He could not implement urgency clause. Thereafter, in 2013 to 16 this process continued but Dy Collector could not finalise the award and I went to court and it ordered it should be finalsised in 15 days,” he continued, adding “I was left high and dry, my institutions were suffering my whole family was suffering.”
He said that in 2017 after the elections he met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and explained the situation to him. “After meeting him a formula was prepared as government had no money. Land was taken and no money, so they started paying me in instalments,” he said.
Shirodkar said that for seven years he was stuck in a legal tangle.”I don’t think anybody else has faced such issue. Imagine how much interest I would have lost on Rs 70 cr for five years.”
“The money what I got is a big relief for me and my family. My institution has 2500 students. Till now I have got Rs 9.70 cr. It was not a favour to me,” he added.
While Shirodkar’s contention is valid, one may question why such an exorbitant rate for land in Shiroda. The State has paid Rs 3500 per square meter when someone else was ready to sell land at Rs 350. “See the rate is finalised based on the recent sale deed in the area and accordingly it is done,” Shirodkar said.
