Rane threatens to resign over land allotment to Videocon

Mumbai, Aug 5 (UNI) Maharashtra revenue minister Narayan Rane has threatened to resign over the issue of allotment of 235 acre land at Navi Mumbai to the Videocon group, for undertaking LCD TV production, at a very low rate.

''I do not want to stay in this cabinet which is being run for one person and not for the common man,'' thundered the former chief minister while talking to reporters at Mantralaya after the cabinet meeting.

''I want to tender my resignation. I will speak with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party High Command on the issue,'' said Mr Rane, who has been at loggerheads with chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for a long time.

'The government is taking decisions benefitting business houses,'' he added.

Mr Rane reportedly raised the point that the worth of land given to Videocon, owned by Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Rajkumar Dhoot, is Rs 3000 crore but it has been allotted at a very low rate.

Mr Rane raised the objection even in the cabinet that the official process should be followed for the allotment of such huge land.

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