Chandigarh, August 15
A day before the Cabinet is likely to recommend dissolution of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is ready with his parting gift for 80-odd MPs and MLAs — a 14-marla plot each in Sector 6 of Mansa Devi Complex.

The Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Dr Raghuvir Singh Kadian, today confirmed that a draw for allotment of plots was slated to be held in the Vidhan Sabha on August 17. Letters for the same have already been sent out to the applicants.

“All the MLAs and MPs who are members of the group housing society constituted last year will be eligible for the plots irrespective of their present status. However, newly elected MPs will not be eligible for the plots under the said scheme.”

These plots at the prime location just adjoining Chandigarh’s IT park will cost the allottees a pittance compared to the market rate. They will have to pay just over Rs 28 lakh compared to the market value of Rs 1.5 crore of a 14-marla plot at the said location. To accommodate the VIPs, the Haryana Urban Development Authority is learnt to have modified the sector plan, doing away with a school site, falling in the area earmarked for the plots.

The Haryana Cabinet had cleared a policy for allotment of plots in July last year on the ground that MPs and MLAs faced difficulty on account of non-availability of proper accommodation for them in Chandigarh during the session days as well as on the days of meetings.

Though the Cabinet had cleared framing of a policy for the construction of houses at Panchkula and flats at Gurgaon in July last year, the government is only going ahead with the Panchkula plan for the time being.

This allotment assumes significance not only because it comes on the eve of the likely dissolution of the House but also because a PIL challenging this allotment of plots is already pending before the high court. Sources in the Advocate-General’s office said that though a PIL was pending in the matter, the court has not granted any stay on the allotment of plots.

With the talk of dissolution of the House, sources said that the pressure on the Chief Minister from the MLAs in particular was mounting for the fulfilment of the promise made a year back before the next election was held.

While the MLAs were keen that the Chief Minister expedite allotment of plots in Panchkula as well as flats in Gurgaon as per the “commitment”, it is learnt that Gurgaon has been put off until after the next election.

Under the policy formulated by the state government, all MLAs and MPs who are already members of group housing societies formed for MPs and MLAs and allotted land by the draw of lots are not eligible under this new scheme.

Here, too, the government, given its magnanimity, offered a solution for those ineligible. According to the policy, all MPs and MLAs, who are members of societies that have been given land, can surrender their membership to become eligible for plots and flats under this new policy.

The Secretary, Town and Country Planning, DS Dhesi, said he had no idea about the draw for allotment of plots to MPs and MLAs since he had been out of town for the last few days.