The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government has allotted 51 hectares of land in Jalna district to the Sharad Pawar-headed Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) on nominal rates, The Indian Express has reported.

The 51.33-hectare land in Patharwala village of Ambad taluka in Jalna was originally acquired by the Agriculture Department for a state seed farm. The Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led cabinet allotted the land to VSI as a "special case".

As per official communication, state valuers estimated the plot's market worth at Rs 9.99 crore.

VSI is a premier institution for research in sugarcane farming established in 1975 by sugarcane growers of the co-operative sugar factories. It performs scientific, technical and educational functions relevant to the industry.

Nationalist Congress Party president and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is the chairman of the institute. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, State Excise Minister Dilip Walse-Patil (NCP), State Finance Minister Jayant Patil (NCP), and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat (Congress) are on the Board of Trustees. Ministers Rajesh Tope (NCP) and Satej Patil (Congress) are on its governing council.

The MVA sanctioned the allotment despite objections by the state’s Revenue and Finance Departments and ignored an opinion submitted by the state’s Advocate General’s office, arguing the government's discretion of allotting land directly to eminent charitable and public institutions, the report said.

However, CM Thackeray has asked the Revenue Department to lay down certain conditions to the institute while issuing the final allotment letter. It has been asked to consult the Law Department on conditions that could be insisted upon, sources told the paper.

Meanwhile, Tope told PTI the decision is aimed at boosting research in sugarcane farming for agriculturists and "will be a boon" to farmers in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.

VSI will provide sugarcane seeds to farmers and conduct research in breeding various varieties of sugarcane, Tope said, adding that the land was allotted under the condition that it will not be used for commercial purpose.