Mumbai, Feb 27 (IANS) Maharashtra Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil on Friday announced the immediate suspension of the Assistant Registrar in connection with the Anand Cooperative Housing Society scam in Nagpur Rural.

This decision follows a forceful intervention by Congress Legislative Party Leader Vijay Wadettiwar, who exposed irregularities regarding the illegal sale of land reserved for public utilities. The Minister was replying to a question by members Dharmrao Atram and Nerendra Bhindrkar.

The minister also confirmed that a high-level inquiry will be conducted into the role of the Besa Chief Officer and other involved officials, with a mandate to complete the investigation and take action within one month. The controversy centres around land located at Khasra Nos 10A and 10B in the Anand Society, Nagpur.

According to details presented in the House, approximately 11,107 square feet of land, originally reserved for public utilities (specifically for a transformer), was allegedly sold illegally by the society’s secretary, Kailas Chute, for personal financial gain. While the area was under the Besa Gram Panchayat, Chute reportedly presented two layouts showing the land as reserved for public use. However, once the area transitioned to a Nagar Panchayat, the maps were allegedly altered to facilitate the illegal sale of the plots to an individual identified as Salunkhe.

Wadettiwar took an aggressive stance, pointing out that the Assistant Registrar had previously submitted a misleading inquiry report to protect the accused. He argued that the Chief Officer of Besa was equally complicit in recording these illegal transactions in official documents. “The reservation for public utilities was bypassed through corrupt financial dealings. Those who submitted false reports to shield this scam must face accountability,” he stated.

Acknowledging the gravity of the evidence, Cooperation Minister Patil admitted that the initial inquiry report provided by the department was incorrect and ordered the immediate suspension of the Assistant Registrar responsible for the flawed report.

The minister further announced that a formal probe into the Besa Chief Officer and secondary officials will be concluded within 30 days. He added that efforts are underway to address the illegal transfer of the 11,107 sq ft reserved plot.

–IANS

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