JAIPUR: Rajasthan’s endeavour to become the largest solar power producer is embroiled in an emerging land deal controvesy. At least 25-30 shady deals have been reported in the last two years, involving land acquired to set up solar projects, especially in the desert district of Jodhpur. Farmers in the area allege their land is being sold to private firms using fake registries. At least nine cases have been registered at Jodhpur and Bhopalgarh police stations by farmers who allege their lands were sold off to private companies without their knowledge. They also claim that this couldn’t have happened without connivance of government officials. Such deals are reported from Raida, Kanasar, Neva, Kelansar, Nevali, Sanwara, Tepu, Rareri, Jamba, Motai, Luna and other villages in the area. After several complaints, Rajasthan police have woken up and started a probe into all land deals in the district from the end of April 2011.
They suspect the deals were carried out between land grabbers and private firms. A majority of these firms are reported to be small fry, who claim to be engaged in land development projects. There is also suspicion of involvement of local administrators and other government officers. This is a result of an escalation in land prices after the state government announced it wanted to develop the Baap area of Phalodi municipality as a solar power hub about two years ago. As per trade estimates, land prices here have almost trebled since the announcement.
The modus operandi is simple. Look at what happened to Ramesh, a farmer from a village near Phalodi. One morning, as he approached his plot, he was surprised by someone on a tractor already tilling it, who told him the land had been sold to him, so that made him the owner. “I don’t know how my land was sold to someone I’ve never met,” says Ramesh, adding, “They are not even from my area and are telling me that my land belongs to them. They have some papers with them. I can’t read and understand these papers, but I know that I have not sold my land to anyone.” “We want justice. The government should take action against corrupt officials and private parties who are responsible, otherwise we’ll have to launch a stir,” says Pahad Singh, a farmer in Baap village.
Senior officials at the state capital however deny having prior knowledge of these cases. An official of the state revenue department, on condition of anonymity, said they also came to know about the shady deals after the FIRs were filed.” The matter is now being investigated, and if found true, we’d not spare any one and punish the guilty,” official said. “We’ve already registered FIRs against two firms, Maitraye Services Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai, and Ashapuri Developers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi,” he added.
The companies however deny such allegations. “We run clean companies… let the police investigate. We are confident of coming out clean,” said an official of Maitraye Services.
A senior police official said shady land deals have come up in at least 19 villages so far. “Farmers from around Baap allege the fake registration papers, showing that their land had been sold to a private firm, were prepared at district registrar offices. They also allege that at least 10,000 bigha land grab has come to their knowledge so far,” the officer said. A bigha of land used to cost `50,000-70,000 earlier. It now fetches `2-3 lakh and higher.