Action in land scam as per law: Haryana CM

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said that action in the alleged land scam in the state during the earlier Congress rule would be in accordance with law.

Without naming anyone, Khattar told the media at the Haryana Bhavan in Delhi that whosoever was involved in irregularities in the land deals would not be spared.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Haryana, it set up a one-man commission of Justice S.N. Dhingra (retd) on May 14, 2015, under The Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.

The commission probed the alleged irregularities in the grant of licence(s) by the Haryana Department of Town and Country Planning to some companies, including those of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, in Sector 83 of Gurugram for developing commercial colonies.

The land deals were inked with respect to land in Shikohpur, Sihi, Kherki Daula and Sikanderpur Badha villages.

On November 23, the Punjab and Haryana High Court summoned the records pertaining to the setting up of the commission on a petition by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The Congress leader challenged its constitution as well as the report that pointed to alleged irregularities in issuance of licences to real estate companies during the previous Congress rule.

Asked about the major achievements of his government in the last two years, the Chief Minister said his government had ensured transparency in governance and has brought about a positive change in the system.

Referring to teachers' transfer policy, Khattar said Haryana is the first state to effect online transfers of about 32,000 teachers with a single click of a button.

As many as 93 per cent teachers are satisfied with this system, he said.

The power to grant Change of Land Use and other licences lay with the Chief Minister, but he restored these powers to the Director of Town and Country Planning Department, Khattar said.

--IANS

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