Congress protests Uppal housing scam; walks out of MC House meeting

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 29

The Congress walked out of a House meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Friday to protest the Uppal housing scam and a suspected illegal construction by Bharatiya Janata Party president Sanjay Tandon outside Lal Dora in Khuda Ali Sher village.

Former mayor Subhash Chawla — a Congress councillor — accused leaders of the BJP, among them Mayor Arun Sood, of shielding Uppal Housing Pvt Ltd, a group suspected of having been involved in a housing scam at Manimajra. Chawla claimed BJP leaders had a deal with the builders.

However, Mayor Arun Sood countered by accusing the Congress of trying to protect officials involved in the swindle.

The suspected fraud pertains to a 6.9 acre of prime land in pocket numbers 2 and 3 at Mani Majra to the group for Rs 108 crore on November 28, 2005 for a housing scheme.

The plan specified that 15 per cent of the total number of units — each having a minimum area of 200 sq ft — would be constructed for the Economically Weaker Sections.

However, no EWS flats have been constructed thus far.