Commotion in Vidhan Sabha

Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service
Shimla, August 27

The Congress today accused the government of clandestinely trying to sell prime properties of the tourism corporation and allowing tea tourism in violation of laws, disrupted Vidhan Sabha proceedings and staged a walkout.

Before business for the day could be taken up, Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri sought permission of Speaker Rajeev Bindal to raise the issue of leasing out prime properties of the HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) as part of disinvestment move. This led to heated arguments between the treasury benches and the opposition members, with there being commotion in the House.

Even as the Congress accused the BJP regime of putting “HP on sale”, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur retorted the Congress had bartered the interest of the state in 1995 when Wildflower Hall was given on equity.

As the Congress retaliated with sloganeering which was countered by BJP legislators, the Speaker tried to pacify both sides. “I am stating with full responsibility that there is no question of leasing out the HPTDC prime properties like Chail palace and the details were uploaded by mistake,” he said.

Bindal, while turning down the Congress request for a debate, allowed Agnihotri to place his viewpoint before the House in brief. The Congress demanded as to what action had been taken against the erring tourism officials, who had hatched the conspiracy to sell Himachal by preparing the sellout master plan. “You are admitting that it was by mistake but by now, you should have taken action. The Congress will never allow the sale of prime properties,” said Agnihotri.

Even as the Chief Minister categorically said there was no question of either selling or leasing any hotel or allowing the use of tea gardens for real estate or commercial use, Congress legislators resorted to sloganeering.

Agnihotri further said, “You are the custodian of the government properties and it is your officials who are preparing the master plan to sell these. Though you are admitting that it was by mistake that the list of hotels was put up on the Rising Global Investors Meet website, then please clarify as to who evaluated the value of the hotels and with whose permission.” He also sought a reply on the issue of inviting private players to partner in promotion of tea tourism when the HP Land Ceiling Holding Act 1972 does not permit it.

Asha Kumari said, “If you are admitting the mistake, then what is preventing you from taking action”. Congress legislators staged a walkout, raising slogans against the government for working against the state’s interest.

CM takes dig at Cong over Wildflower Hall 

CM Jai Ram Thakur ridiculed the then Congress government for selling Wildflower Hall, a landmark luxury hotel near here, to the Oberoi Group in 1995 while ignoring the state’s interest as the state did not receive any money from it. The state is a stakeholder in the heritage hotel, located at Charabra at a height of 8,300 feet amid thick verdant forests of pine and cedar.