MUMBAI: One more Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Shashikant Shinde is in trouble over graft charges. As a director of Navi Mumbai-based Agriculture Product Marketing Committee (APMC), Shinde stands accused of giving undue benefit of `138 crore to the traders while allotting them Floor Space Index (FSI) for redevelopment.
An inquiry initiated by the Marketing Department has revealed that the APMC Board of Directors (BoD), which comprises most of the NCP leaders, charges lesser fees while allotting the FSI to the traders. It caused the APMC a loss of `168 crore if the ready reckoner rate is taken into consideration.
The MD has ordered that steps be initiated to disband the director board and cases filed against it for irregularities”. The BJP has demanded Shinde’s resignation. “The market value of the FSI is Rs 720 crore. We fear that the government will try to cover up the scam as Shinde is a member of the Cabinet,” said Vinod Tawde, Leader of Opposition.