Private firm got land for port but sold it at profit: PIL

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court today issued a notice to the state government in response to a public interest litigation which alleges that a private firm illegally sold a huge tract of land in Mandvi area in coastal Kutch.

The division bench of acting Chief Justice V M Sahai and Justice R P Dholaria sought replies from the state revnue department, the Kutch collector, Gujarat Pollution Control Board and Gujarat Integrated Maritime Complex Pvt Ltd (GIMC) earlier known as Shri Mataji Ashapura Ports Pvt Ltd.

According to the petitioner Dineshsinh Jadeja, the government alloted 367.35 acres of land to GIMC at Mandavi to develop a port in 2002 at the rate of Rs 1.15 per sq meter.

Contrary to the conditions attached at the time of allotment, the company sold the land to another private company, the PIL says.

"The company holds only the allotted land as its asset and the value of which was around Rs 16 lakh....90 per cent shares of the company, without any change of status, were sold at a staggering amount of Rs 100 crore," it says, alleging the sole motive of the company was to "hoard" the land and sell it at profit.