Hooda govt ‘favoured’ DLF by releasing land

CHANDIGARH:The Bhupinder Singh Hooda government showered undue benefits on two major builders, including realty major DLF, by releasing land meant for Haryana Urban Development Authority sectors and providing direct access from the national highway for their mega housing projects in Panchkula’s vicinity, a report of the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) has said.

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20

The Bhupinder Singh Hooda government showered undue benefits on two major builders, including realty major DLF, by releasing land meant for Haryana Urban Development Authority sectors and providing direct access from the national highway for their mega housing projects in Panchkula’s vicinity, a report of the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) has said.

The report said the state government had proposed to acquire 672 acres for development of residential areas by HUDA in Sectors 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the Pinjore-Kalka Urban Complex. “However, nearly 372 acres of land was released by the state government in favour of DLF and Magnolia Private Limited,” it alleged.

The report asserted that the non-development of HUDA sectors and release of half of the land meant for the sectors in favour of DLF and Magnolia were aimed at “benefiting” the private builders.

Besides, the SVB alleged that the state exchequer spent over Rs 100 crore more to increase the width of the wall of dam on the Kaushalya river from 12 metres to 30 metres to facilitate direct access from the Panchkula-Kalka highway to the residential projects of the two builders located in the Pinjore-Kalka Urban Complex.

Shivalik Vikas Manch former president Vijay Bansal had alleged that the Hooda government had taken the decision to increase the dam width to extend “undue benefits” to the builders. He had claimed that the state Irrigation Department in its RTI reply had said the dam width increase led to cost escalation from Rs 118 crore to Rs 180 crore.

While the previous Congress government stonewalled any inquiry into the matter, the BJP government led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar ordered a vigilance probe in 2014.

Meanwhile, the report, which has been sent by Director General (SVB) Parminder Rai to the Haryana Chief Secretary, has also recommended action against 25 officials, including eight former chief engineers, of the state government for dereliction of duty. The Chief Secretary has now forwarded the report to Principal Secretary (Irrigation) for further action.