PTI | 10:04 PM,Apr 29,2011

Malegaon (Maha), Apr 29 (PTI) Shareholders of the liquidated Girna Co-operative Sugar Factory today demanded a CBI probe in the controversial sale of the property belong to the co-op unit here in North Maharashtra.Shareholders, farmer-members of the co-operative and a group of locals took out a morcha, led by social activist Medha Patkar, to Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ajay More’s office here in support of their demand.The liquidated factory is located at Dabhadi.The factory’s entire 290-acre property, including buildings, was sold away cheap for just Rs 27.5 crore to Armstrong Company, said to be owned by PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, in a recent auction, they said.Addressing a gathering after the morcha, Patkar said in Maharashtra there are 29 sick and liquidated co-op sugar factories and 17 of them were sold at cheap rates. These factories were purchased by political personalities.Describing the entire exercise as a `maha ghotala’ (big scandal), she demanded a CBI probe in their sale.The Girna factory’s current value was about Rs 150 crore, but it was sold cheap to Armstrong, Patkar maintained.Shiv Sena MLA from Malegaon, Dada Bhuse, arrived at the dais to deliver his speech, but people, especially farmers and shareholders, did not allow him to speak.They alleged that Bhuse had supported Bhujbal in purchasing the factory property.The Girna factory was liquidated in 1997 and the court had directed that it be sold off.