Film stars, sportspersons and MLAs in Rs 15 billion land scandal

Well-known sportspersons, film stars and members of the Maharashtra assembly are allegedly involved in a Rs 15 billion forest land scam in Raigad district.

According to reliable sources, notices have been slapped on 35 private contractors, film stars, sportspersons and senior administrative officers in this connection.

The scam has been unearthed by forest security officer R K Das, and several attempts have been made to get him transferred out of the district. However, the state government is reported to have given him a free hand in investigating the case and recovering the land.

Das's investigation has already led to the recovery of 2,400 hectares of land in the district. Worth Rs 6 billion, the land has been illegally allotted for constructing bungalows, farm houses and holiday resorts.

Nearly 6,000 hectares of forest land is still held by the beneficiaries of the illegal transaction conducted during the terms of then district collectors Rajiv Agarwal (1986-1989), Ganesh Galavalkar (1989-1992) and Ratnakar Wagh (1992-93).

Sources told the Marathi media that private developers grabbed the barren land, which was allotted to tribals, in connivance with the officials. The tribals were harassed and tortured and a barbed electric wire was erected around the land to prevent their resettlement in the area. The developers then deforested vast tracts of land.

Sources said the contractors took advantage of the loopholes in the Maharashtra Private Forests Acquisition Act 1975 because of the officials's ''negligence and irresponsibility''.

Compiled from the Marathi media by Prasanna Zore