RAJPARA (BHAVNAGAR): Why buy a cow if you can get milk for free? This is exactly what a politically influential person did using government land as his own and earning money by allowing a private firm to construct a telecommunications tower there. But Right to Information used by a humble milkman, Raju Hadgarda, exposed him.
However, what's more shocking than the money siphoning revelation is that nine notices by district development officer, an IAS officer, to lodge a criminal complaint against the errant person, have remained buried in the files since August 2009.
As per case details, Dolu Bharwad had forged a land document in connivance with village talati Chandrasinh Zala and showed the government school's land in Rajpara village of Bhavnagar district as his own. In 2008, he rented the land to New Delhi-based Indus Towers Ltd, an infrastructure provider which establishes, maintains and operates telecommunications tower structures. Bharwad started drawing a monthly rent of Rs 4,100 from the company. Bharwad, who is said to be close to a top Koli community politician, signed a 20-years lease agreement with the firm.
"This land belongs to government and it is proved by documents accessed under RTI Act. The village panchayat issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) saying that land is owned by Bharwad. But truth was different,'' says Raju Hadgarda, a milkman from the village who has been fighting this battle for last 6 years.
On the basis of facts revealed by Raju's RTI applications, village sarpanch Shailendra Rajyaguru and talati cum mantri Zala were suspended. "Bharwad is still drawing money from the company. Government has ordered to file criminal complaint against him and recover the money but nothing is happening,'' he said.
Since August 2009, DDO, Bhavnagar has issued nine notices to the taluka development officer of Talaja to initiate criminal action against Bharwad, the RTI information reveals.
Raju earns his daily bread by selling milk from his village in Bhavnagar. He, in fact, borrowed money to fight against Bharwad and is trying to bring the guilty to justice.
"These people have been trying to harass me through various ways since I started using RTI. I am the only one in my village to have spoken against them. But I will fight till the end as people should have faith in truth and not surrender to corrupt people," he added.
"Every week, I go to the DDO office to inquire about the action they have taken and return empty handed. I have been doing this since the scam surfaced. I will continue to do it until they initiate criminal action against the accused,'' he said.
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