Maharashtra Revenue Minister denies any linkage with Nagpur land dead

Narayan Rane, Revenue Minister, Maharashtra has filed an affidavit before the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court denying allegations made against him by Shailendra Sahu, Nagpur-based industrialist, in a land deal.

Rane requested the high court to direct the petitioner to delete the allegations and his name from the list of respondents and that Sahu be directed to compensate for legal expenses Rane has incurred.

Rane also questioned the petitioner’s claim that the state’s Revenue minister has no jurisdiction to consider renewal or cancellation of lease of government land. His affidavit said he did not know why the allegations of favouring Bapuna were levelled against him although he was not the Revenue minister when the lease was being renewed.
The land was allotted to the petitioner’s grandfather, Sunderlal, in March 1942 by the Central Provinces and Berar Governor on a 30-year lease. The lease was renewed from 1972 to 1978 and later till 2008.

The Revenue Department in its separate affidavit asserted that the Revenue Minister and state have every right and jurisdiction to sanction the grant or renewal of lease if the market value of land exceedsRs3.75-lakh.