HC sets aside allotment of 202 industrial plots in Rohtak

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 27

About seven years after the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation published an advertisement for allotting 202 industrial plots at Kutana village in Rohtak district, the Punjab and High Court today set aside the allotment.

A Division Bench of the High Court also ordered re-allotment of plots by adopting a transparent procedure. The Bench said an allotment committee followed a pick-and-choose policy.

The orders come about eight months after the Bench minced no words to say the process of plot allotment was arbitrary. It was carried out without framing any objective, transparent and rational criteria.

The Bench had said that in one case, an applicants’ family was engaged in the wholesale business of “bidi” and cigarette. “The reasoning given does not show that the technical feasibility and economic viability of the projects submitted by any such applicant to set up industries was considered and on what parameters,” it had asserted.

“The Bench had observed that technical feasibility and economic viability of the applicants had not been assessed. The entire process was tailor-made to allot plots to applicants as per whims and fancies of the members of the allotment committee. Reading between the lines and the manner of recording of minutes shows that the allotment of plots was made on predetermined basis…”

The Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Hari Pal Verma at that time had added the question as to whether all allotments were tainted or unjustified or only some of them were beneficiary of the largesse was required to be examined.

The Bench had directed the constitution of a committee to assess the financial viability and technical feasibility of each applicant, who appeared before an earlier selection committee.

“The committee will prepare an objective, transparent and fair criteria to assess the suitability of each of the applicants for the plots on the basis of the documents filed along with their respective applications. If more applicants than the plots available are found suitable, the committee will hold draw for allotment of plots before making recommendations to this Court.

“If any previously successful candidate is found suitable, the committee shall make an endeavour to recommend the allotment of the same plot so as to maintain the allotment of plot allotted. The committee shall make an attempt to submit a report within four months to this Court for further necessary action. It shall be open to the committee to seek any clarification or direction required to give effect to the orders passed.”