Kolhapur’s famed Mahalaxmi Temple land sold at one fifth its market value
The western Maharashtra temple committee has allegedly soldprime land in Kolhapur worth rupees 50 crore for 4.59 crores. The BJP MLAChandrakant Patil alleged the secretary of the western Maharashtra templecommittee, Hanumantrao Suryavanshi sold the property in Morewadi to the citybased builder Dhanajay Salonkhe for a price lower that the market price.
Hanumantrao Suryavanshi, the secretary for two years hasbeen involved in controversy in the past. Temples have blocks of land in rural and urbanareas. According to the provisions made under section 56D of the BombayPublic Trust Act, 1950, these lands came under Inam 3 and the committee onlyhas the right to manage these lands. “It is not appropriate to grant permissionto sell these properties” MLA Patil said
Patil also alleged that Suryavanshi took rupees 3 crore askickback and that more than 4 crores was deposited in the overseas account of thesecretary.
The secretary countered this allegation by claiming that thecommittee has taken prior permission from the charity commissioner for this deal.He said that the tender was released in October 2003, in which Salonjkhe wasthe highest bidder.
MLA Patil stated that the state government’s notificationdated July 30, 2010 clearly indicated that the transfer of land withoutgovernment permission was illegal. Patil demanded the deal be cancelled and theculprit booked.
