Kanpur Dehat, May 12 (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged an FIR against a former additional district magistrate, company representatives and bank officials in connection with an alleged land scam worth around Rs 400 crore in Kanpur Dehat district, officials said on Tuesday.
The case pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the Bhognipur area, where land had been allotted for setting up a thermal power plant.
The FIR was lodged following directions from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, an official statement said.
The matter dates back to 2011, when gram sabha land and private agricultural land in the district were allotted for the proposed thermal power project.
District Magistrate Kapil Singh ordered a probe after it came to light that government land had allegedly been mortgaged to banks without obtaining permission from the state government.
Based on the findings, an FIR was registered at the Musanagar police station on the complaint of Bhognipur tehsildar Priya Singh.
According to officials, 2,332 acres of land in seven villages were allotted to two companies, Himavat Power and Lanco Anpara Power, for setting up the thermal plant.
Under the agreement, the companies were required to begin construction and start power generation within three years.
However, even after 15 years, no construction work was carried out, and the acquired land remained vacant, the statement said.
The administration alleged that the companies violated agreement conditions and mortgaged the land to banks, including IDBI, Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank, to obtain loans worth nearly Rs 1,500 crore.
But neither the power plant was established, nor the loans repaid, the statement said.
The probe found alleged collusion involving company officials, bank staff and the then ADM (land acquisition), O K Singh.
Officials said the banks later attempted to auction the land illegally, following which the district administration intervened and stopped the process on the instructions of Adityanath.
The land has now been restored in government records, with an estimated value of more than Rs 300 crore as per the circle rate, though the market value is believed to be significantly higher, the statement said.
The FIR has been registered against Singh, both companies, officials of banks, and concerned administrative officials for forgery and criminal conspiracy, officials said. PTI ABN ARI
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
