Panchkula plot allotment case: Khattar recommends CBI probe

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has recommended CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the allotment of industrial plots in Panchkula during the previous Congress government's regime.

The move came after the State Vigilance Department found alleged irregularities in the allotments.

"After the vigilance inquiry found irregularities in the allotment of plots, the Chief Minister has recommended a CBI probe for further inquiry," OSD to the Chief Minister Jawahar Yadav said here today.

He also said the Chief Minister has ordered the vigilance department to register an FIR in the case, after which the matter would be referred to CBI.

The ruling BJP had charged the former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with allotting plots to candidates who were either his relatives or his close associates and friends.

Yadav said Khattar ordered registration of an FIR in the case on the legal opinion by Haryana's Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan.

According to the AG's legal opinion, an FIR deserves to be registered against the then Chairman, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), besides some other officials including the then Chief Administrator of HUDA.

The AG, in his advice, maintained that the allotment criteria was changed and approved at the level of the HUDA Chairman, the then CM, and most of the beneficiaries got the plots under modified criterion, reasoning it to be sufficient ground to have a case registered against him.

The AG further found it to be a fit case where the state government should consider getting the detailed probe conducted by an independent agency like CBI.

Despite repeated attempts to reach him over phone, Hooda remained unavailable for his comments.

In May, the BJP Government had ordered a Vigilance inquiry into the allotment of the industrial plots by previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in Industrial Estate, Panchkula in December 2011 to the alleged "undeserving candidates".

State Vigilance Bureau later registered a case for regular inquiry in the case in which industrial plots ranging from 496 square metres to 1,280 square metres were allegedly allotted to the candidates who were either relatives of the then Chief Minister (Hooda) or those of his close associates and friends.

State Vigilance Bureau probe was ordered by the BJP government after it received several complaints drawing its attention towards alleged irregularities committed in allotment of industrial plots, including the charge-sheet submitted by Indian National Lok Dal to the Governor.

After coming to power, the Khattar government had maintained that it will show zero tolerance towards corruption and probe all acts of omission and commission of the previous Congress government in the State.