August 19, 2025: A political storm has erupted in Maharashtra after NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar accused state minister Sanjay Shirsath of illegally handing over 15 acres of prime CIDCO land in Navi Mumbai. The land, valued at nearly Rs 5,000 crore, was allegedly transferred to the heirs of the Bivalkar family in violation of regulations.
According to Pawar, the parcel had been reserved for housing projects for the poor and the agrarian community but was instead allotted during Shirsath’s very first meeting as CIDCO chairman in 2024. He described the decision as a “betrayal of local sons of the soil” who have long been fighting for land rights.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Pawar alleged that the Bivalkar family had originally been rewarded with over 4,000 acres in Navi Mumbai by the British for siding against the Maratha Empire. After independence, the land was vested with the state under a series of laws and government decisions. Pawar noted that successive governments had rejected the family’s claims, yet “Shirsath Saheb, ignoring all norms, handed over 15 acres back to them.”
The MLA further argued that the land could have supported the construction of up to 10,000 affordable housing units, providing relief to thousands of low-income families. “Instead, the rightful share of the poor has been gifted to the heirs of those who once sided with colonial powers,” he charged.
In response, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has announced a protest march outside the CIDCO headquarters in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday, 20 August, at 11 am. The alliance is demanding that the land allocation be scrapped and that Minister Shirsath step down immediately. Pawar has also called upon Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene in the matter.
Source: The Free Press Journal
