VTV Gujarati - News and Beyond: 2012

RTI activist from Amreli, Nathalal Sukhadia, has alleged Amreli BJP MLA and state cooperative minister, Dilip Sanghani’s involvement in Rs500 crore worth scams in the district. Sukhadia was attacked on Sunday and has named Sanghani in an FIR lodged with the Amreli police.

Sukhadia, who alleges that minister Sanghani, his relatives and aides are involved in around 12 scams of around Rs500 crore, said he received information of the minister’s involvement in the corruption under RTI act. He further said that Sanghani and his aides have also grabbed around seven acres land belonging to Amreli municipality run primary school. The market value of this land is around Rs50 crore, Sukhadia claimed. Besides, the minister has also allegedly grabbed around two acres of land meant for feeding cows in Amreli town. “According to municipal authority this parcel of land does not belong to the municipality.

However, Sanghani had allotted Rs3 lakh for building a wall around the land in 2008-09. How can MLA grant be used on a private plot?” Sukhadia questioned.

According to the RTI activist, the BJP-ruled Amreli Municipality has sold a parcel of land to Sanghani’s cousin, Haresh Ramani, at throwaway price of just Rs94,000 only. However, the market value of the land is pegged at around Rs1.35 crore. Moreover, the shops constructed on this land are not on municipality record.

Sukhadia also alleged that BJP-ruled Amreli Jilla Kharid Vechan Sangh has sold around seven acres land along with a godown at Vasanda to Sanghani’s aides at throwaway price.

Similarly, Amreli Municipality has transferred Taluka School land for the dairy service centre. Moreover, Amreli Taluka Panchayat has also given away its Staff Quarters land to Sanghani-led Amreli District Cooperative Bank. However, there is no mention of any rent or lease in the resolution passed to this effect, said Sukhadia.