Virbhadra’s wife rented Holy Lodge to a firm in 2012, says Arun Dhumal

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 3

Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s son Arun Dhumal today alleged that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s ancestral home “Holy Lodge” had been rented out to a firm working in the Miyar hydro-electric project, Lahaul and Spiti.

Addressing a press conference here, Arun said Pratibha Singh, wife of the Chief Minister, had entered into an agreement with the company to rent out the Holy Lodge.

“An agreement was signed on December 30, 2011, between Pratibha Singh and Delhi-based Subinay Engineering and Construction for renting out the Holy Lodge to the firm for two years,” Arun said.

He said for the first year from January to December 2012, the rent was Rs 12-lakh per annum while for next year, the rental was Rs 13.20 lakh, payable in monthly instalment of Rs 1.10 lakh.

He also said there was no witness to the lease deed which was signed between Pratibha Singh and company representative Aman Morya, and accused Virbhadra and his wife of not disclosing the rental income in their affidavits filed before the Election Commission. The Miyar project is being commissioned by Moser Baer in the Miyar valley on a tributary of the Chandrabhaga.

Remarks baseless: CM’s son

However, Vikramaditya Singh, president, Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress and son of Virbhadra Singh, has described the allegations of Arun as baseless, made out of frustration due to the ongoing inquiries into various cases of corruption against his family members.

Arun was in a state of desperation with disclosure of various anomalies and misdeeds of the HPCA by senior Congress leader Jai Ram Ramesh on Sunday, he said, adding that the HPCA tried its best to grab the valuable properties of the state in name of cricket academies.