Narendra Modi's Rs 253 cr land largesse for DLF

Even as the spotlight is on the Haryana government's alleged land largesse to DLF, as highlighted by activist-politician Arvind Kejriwal, what has slipped attention is Gujarat's own large-heartedness when it comes to attracting big corporates to the state, including DLF.

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief Arjun Modhwadia had submitted a petition to President Pratibha Patil against Chief Minister Narendra Modi last year in which he alleged corruption to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore by the state government.

Interestingly, as per his memorandum listing out land allotment at a meagre rate to industrialists in Gandhinagar without an auction, DLF was given 1,01,200 sq mt of land in the capital at Rs 5000 per sq mt, when the prescribed stamp duty rate was Rs 19,000 per sq mt and the market price was Rs 30,000 per sq mt.

This allotment, Modhwadia contended, cost the exchequer a whopping Rs 253 crore.

You can see the entire list of beneficiaries the state Congress chief had mentioned in his petition to the President, here.

However, a judicial commission headed by Justice MB Shah, which probed the corruption charges against the Modi government, found that it had committed no illegality in its land allotment to corporates. In its interim report, tabled last week before the state cabinet, the commission found the government had followed proper procedures. The probe panel studied 15 charges of corruption against the Modi government, cleared it in nine cases.