Mumbai, Sep 28 — The Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Maharashtra government, alleging a massive Rs 900 crore illegal land scam in the Konkan region.
Addressing a press conference here, Raut claimed that prime agricultural and forest land in the Sindhudurg district has been illegally transferred to wealthy non-agricultural investors from Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad in violation of land protection laws.
Raut alleged that fertile agricultural land across the Vengurla, Sawantwadi, and Dodamarg talukas of Sindhudurg district has been systematically transferred to non-farmers. Under Maharashtra's Prevention of Fragmentation and Consolidation of Holdings Act (Tukde Bandi Act), selling fragmented agricultural land to non-agriculturalists without statutory permissions is prohibited.
Raut implicated cabinet ministers and local MLAs representing the Konkan region, accusing them of partnering with "outsiders" and acting as real estate brokers.
"A prominent 'Hindutva' cabinet minister from Konkan is acting as an estate agent to hand over local farmers' land to non-locals," he charged, demanding to know the exact commission earned from the deals.
He, however, did not mention any names of either the Cabinet Minister or local MLAs.
Beyond the Rs 900 crore recorded on paper, substantial unregistered black money changed hands, he alleged, adding that illegal deforestation is underway across the acquired plots while buyers have already seized physical possession.
Raut highlighted that Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Jayant Patil had previously raised the issue, yet the transactions continued unabated. He accused the state Revenue Department of conducting a sham investigation over the past three years without taking enforcement action.
Issuing a direct challenge to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Raut demanded the immediate publication of all land transfer records in Sindhudurg.
He urged the government to disclose the names of all buyers, the key facilitators behind the deals, and the ministers or MLAs driving the operations.
Raut announced plans to lead a delegation of local Shiv Sena (UBT) workers to inspect the disputed sites in Sindhudurg and expose the extent of the environmental and legal violations on the ground.