The state government on Thursday ordered two more inquiries—one into the allegations of changing the use of MIDC industrial land to residential land which was announced by the former industry minister, and the other into the alleged irregularities in SRA projects in Mumbai.

Desai in the dock

BJP leader Atul Bhatkhalkar raised a point of information in the Assembly, asking that former industry minister Subhash Desai be probed for changing the use of industrial land of MIDC to residential in violation of rules. He alleged that around 4 lakh square metres of land valued at R3,109 crore was given for residential purposes. “Industrial land is first converted to commercial land and then to residential, if need be. But here the rules have been violated and orders were passed during the pandemic period. The irregularities caused the state a loss of Rs 3,000 crore as the state got only R168 crore as revenue,” Bhatkhalkar said.