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BJP’s fresh graft charge against Virbhadra
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 30
The BJP on Monday attacked Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh alleging he acted in conflict of interest by obtaining benefits for himself and his family members from a businessman his government favoured by giving him more time to execute a hydel project. It also sought to know how the Congress could retain a Chief Minister after such a case came out in the open.

The party, through its senior leader Arun Jaitley, wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that for the past 15 months several exposures have taken place in the media relating to the Himachal CM. “Each of these exposures is independent and constitutes an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act...These are cases which require an immediate investigation by both the Income Tax authorities and also the CBI. I request you to look into this matter for appropriate action,” the letter said.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters here, Jaitley said while earlier cases of allegations of payment by a firm to officials and one ‘VBS’ when Virbhadra Singh was the Union Steel Minister and use of allegedly illegally acquired money were being probed, the third case relates to payment by a power company -- first through a loan and later allotted equity shares -- to family members of the CM in another company promoted by the same businessman.

Jaitley said the Himachal Government allotted a hydel power project Sai Kothi in June 2002 to M/s Venture Energy and Technology Pvt Ltd. In September 2004, it decided to cancel the allocation as the firm had not started the project despite being granted extension. Eventually, the government allowed Venture Energy to execute the project.

In September this year, the HP Cabinet, under Virbhadra Singh, granted Venture Energy an extension of 10 months to execute the project with certain payment terms. “It now appears a favour was being shown to the said company... a quid pro quo was offered by the company to Mr Singh and his family around the same time,” Jaitley said in the letter, appending documents to support his charge.

Jaitley said Virbhadra’s affidavit of assets and liability in October 2012 made no reference of the company having given him any money. However, the affidavit filed by his wife Pratibha Singh this May when she contested the Mandi Lok Sabha bypoll, stated that Venture Energy promoter Vakamalla Chandrasekhar gave an unsecured loan of Rs 1.5 crore to her and Rs 2.4 crore to Virbhadra Singh.

“Can a Chief Minister and his wife take a loan from a company the Chief Minister had favoured?” the BJP asked, stating that contemporary documents indicate both the CM and his family had surplus amounts in their bank accounts and did not need the loan.

Jaitley said Venture Energy promoter Chandrasekhar promoted another company M/s Tarini Infrastructures Ltd. In its filing in September 2012 with the Registrar of Companies, Chandrasekhar declared that the CM's wife Pratibha Singh, his son Vikramaditya and daughter Aparajita Kumar each held 3.4 lakh equity shares while OSCD to CM Amit Pal Singh got 10,000 equity shares.

Venture Energy, which is required to pay Rs 58.19 lakh for the 10-month extension, is yet to pay up and Chandrasekhar and his company are in huge debt.

Terming it an “open and shut case”, the BJP leader called the case a test for Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and whether he would get angry with the CM after his "anger" in the Adarsh housing scam.