Mumbai, Feb 8 (TOI): The NCP on Wednesday alleged that state tourism minister Jaykumar Rawal still heads two firms which were blacklisted by the Modi government and dissolved by the ministry of corporate affairs in June 2017. The companies -- Toranmal Hill Resorts and Toranmal Development Pvt Ltd - were among the three lakh firms dissolved by the ministry over dubious transactions, the party said.

Toranmal Hill Resorts in Nandurbar continues to be operational and even accepted a booking in the name of NCP leader Clyde Crasto on Wednesday, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed. "We booked the resort in Crasto's name and the firm has accepted payment of Rs7,343 for a one-night stay on February 10," he said.

Malik, who recently accused Rawal of dubious land deals in his home district Dhule in the wake of farmer Dharma Patil's suicide, has demanded Rawal's dismissal, failing which he said NCP would approach the Lokayukta for initiating criminal proceedings.

Rawal claimed he was not associated with Toranmal Resorts or Toranmal Development in any way. "I was never a shareholder or director of the two firms. No member of the Rawal family is a member of the firms, which are controlled by one Rajesh Reshamwala," the minister said.

However, the NCP alleged Rawal was misleading the people of Maharashtra. "All land revenue records pertaining to Toranmal Resorts mention the name of Jaykumar Rawal. Further, Rawal had attended an official meeting convened by then minister of state for tourism Ram Shinde on May 21, 2015 in his capacity as owner/director of Toranmal Resorts. We have minutes of the meeting," Malik said.

Further, Malik claimed Rawal had grabbed a prime plot of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation in Toranmal town of Dhule district. In 1991 and 1996, Toranmal Resorts took the Toranmal hill on rent from MTDC but failed to pay rent to the corporation. Toranmal Resorts also itself demanded Rs60 lakh from MTDC for maintenance of the resort, and though it lost all cases related to the matter, it has not handed over possession of the resort to the MTDC yet. "The competent authority has served an eviction notice to Toranmal Resorts, which did not oblige. Now MTDC is scared of taking action because Rawal himself is tourism minister," Malik claimed.


Malik added Rawal possessed four Director Identification Numbers (DIN) in violation of rules, which was "shocking."


Rawal said the case related to the MTDC land was sub-judice as it was before the civil court and high court, so it would be wrong for him to comment. "Instead of (conducting a) media trial, opposition members should approach the appropriate forum for redressal of grievances," Rawal said. He did not comment on the four DIN numbers.