Dhingra took favours from govt, says Cong

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 29

Justice SN Dhingra, who is probing the “illegalities” committed by the previous Hooda government in granting change of land use (CLU) licences in Gurgaon, seems to have ‘landed’ himself in a controversy — barely days before he is to submit his report.

Justice Dhingra, who heads a commission set up by the Haryana government in May last year to look into the licences granted for developing commercial colonies “to some entities” in Sector 83, Gurgaon, is also chairman of the Delhi-based Justice Gopal Singh Public Charitable Trust. 

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This trust was “gifted” 2,235 sq yards of land in Jauri Dhani and Jataula village in Gurgaon in November last. In his capacity as trust chairman, Justice Dhingra made a representation to the Gurgaon DC on December 8, 2015, for “providing paver blocks on existing revenue rastas (lanes)”of five villages. He explained that the trust was setting up a pre-school, which would become functional from 2016, as also a women empowerment and training centre. Hence, the request.

Acting on the representation immediately, the officials concerned were asked to ascertain if the work could be taken up through the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board. Sources claim while an amount of over Rs 95 lakh was sanctioned in March 2016 for the purpose, the first installment of nearly half the amount had been released from the Rural Development Fund.

When contacted, Justice Dhingra said he headed the trust that had been "donated land" and that he had written to the Haryana Government for paver blocks. Donor Harish Chakravarty said he had chosen the trust on account of “its good 

work elsewhere” and that he did not know Justice Dhingra then.

“The trust’s sole mission was to run a school and a skill development centre. I sent a request to the government since paver blocks would have ensured that children were able to attend school all through the year. This was not a personal favour. If my heading the commission has anything to do with this, then my other requests should not have been turned down as the government has disallowed the trust to receive foreign donations,” Justice Dhingra said.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has shot off a letter to Haryana Governor KS Solanki, claiming that the commission has been set up contrary to norms and should be revoked.

Hooda, in his letter, said the commission had been set up without Cabinet approval with the sole aim of  “harassing and maligning me, the Congress leadership, the ministers who served in my Cabinet and officers who worked in my government". On the terms of reference, he asked why these were limited to “some entities” in Sector 83, Gurgaon, when licences were granted across the state.

The AICC media cell incharge, Randeep Singh Surjewala, said: “Ceaser’s wife must be above suspicion is the cardinal rule. Absence of bias and prejudice is a mandatory requirement for being able to adjudicate fairly and justly on the issues before the commission. If the chairman of the commission seeks a personal favour from the BJP government, it takes away all semblance of neutrality and fairness, bringing the inquiry under a cloud.”