CPM hails decision to vest Alchemist land with govt

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 25

The CPM today hailed the decision of the Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Dinesh Malhotra to vest 32.7 bighas of prime land at Chharabra with the state after the district collector declared the Rs 5.72 crore land deal, involving Alchemist, owned by KD Singh, a Trinamool Congress MP, as benami.

Even as the Alchemist group may move the higher revenue authorities, it was the first the inquiry conducted by the district collector in 2013 that had detected this benami land sale deed in Chharabra near the Summer Retreat of the President of India, facing the heritage Wildflower Hall.

The land had been declared benami and it would be vested with the government, said DC Dinesh Malhotra.

The payment was made by Alchemist, revealed the inquiry.

The benami deal has put a question mark on the future of Himalayan International School (HIS), being run in some buildings of this benami property. The school is run by the Sardar Kumer Singh Education Society. Benami sellers are also members of the society, found the inquiry.

Realtors have planned a high-end resort there as property commands a prime view of the wildlife sanctuary and adjoins the Kalyani helipad near the farm house of Priyanka Vadra.

A former Major General Jagjit Singh, who was in possession of the property and died, had sold it through a sale deed to a benami buyer in 2009-10. He violated Section 118, HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, inquiry said. He was a non-agriculturalist Himachali and could not sell it to the non-agriculturalist outsider without the government’s permission, said officials.

“We, along with the Parent-Teachers Association of the HIS, pursued the case in the high court, which has asked the DC, Shimla, to take action”, said Deputy Mayor, Tikender Panwar. “We were sure that the land deal was benami and our stand has been vindicated by the DC”, he said.

This deal was stuck during the previous BJP government where the seller happened to be one of the important financers of the BJP. “The slogan of ‘Himachal on Sale ‘ was given by the party”, Panwar claimed.