Oppn demands resignation of Maha minister Abdul Sattar over land regularisation order

NAGPUR, (PTI): Opposition members in the Maharashtra Assembly on Monday demanded the resignation of minister Abdul Sattar while alleging an irregularity in ordering ‘regularisation’ of the possession of land reserved for grazing in favour of a private person when he was a minister in the previous state government.

Members of the opposition parties trooped into the Well of the House, raised slogans, disrupted the proceedings and sought Agriculture Minister Sattar’s resignation.

Sattar had passed the order in June 2022 when he was the Minister of State for Revenue in the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Raising the issue in the Assembly on Monday, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar alleged there were irregularities worth Rs 150 crore and Sattar’s land regularisation order was in clear violation of a court order. ”The minister misused the post. He should immediately resign. If he doesn’t resign, then he should be sacked,” Pawar said.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader also alleged that the government machinery and money were being misused for Sillod Agriculture Festival, to be held early next month.

Silliod is Sattar’s constituency.

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court last week issued a notice to Sattar for ordering ‘regularisation’ of the possession of land reserved for public ‘gairan’ (grazing) in favour of a private person in the face of a civil court order.

As per the petition filed by social activist Shyam Deole and another person, a public utility land meant for grazing measuring 37 acres was ‘regularised’ in favour of a private person. This was done even after the claim of this private person had been rejected by the civil appellate court, said the petitioner. The HC held that prima facie (on the face of it) Sattar passed the order with knowledge that additional district judge, Washim, had disallowed the claim of the private person for continuation of his possession over gairan land.

The Washim court had even passed stinging remarks that said private person was certainly out to usurp the government land, the HC noted.

The high court will hear the matter further on January 11, 2023.

Sattar was one of the 40 Shiv Sena MLAs who rebelled against the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray which led to the collapse of the MVA government. He is now the agriculture minister in the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. Last month, Sattar faced flak from NCP workers who had alleged that he used objectionable language against NCP MP Supriya Sule. The minister had expressed regret if his comment hurt anyone, but maintained he did not make any remark against Sule, the daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

On Monday, Ajit Pawar also raised the issue of the alleged remarks made by Sattar against Sule. The NCP members were particularly vociferous in demanding Sattar’s resignation. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he has not read the court order (in the land dispute case). “We will take the information on it,” he said. Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan (Congress) said this is a serious issue and Sattar should not be a part of the cabinet.

NCP leader Dilip Walse-Patil demanded that a criminal compliant be registered against Sattar and a probe be conducted into the matter. Ajit Pawar also alleged that the government machinery and money were being misused for Sillod Agriculture Festival, to be held early next month.

Fadnavis said the government will probe the issue. (PTI)