Cong, BJP slug it out over corruption in Assembly

Ruling and Opposition members levelled allegations and counter allegations of corruption against each other during a debate on the issue on the first day of the winter session of the Assembly today.

As soon the winter session started at 11 am, BJP’s Naina Devi MLA Randhir Sharma got up and demanded a discussion on an adjournment motion moved by him under Rule 67 of the Himachal Assembly Conduct Rules. Sharma had moved the adjournment motion demanding a discussion on the issue of corruption in the past two years of the Congress rule. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania urged Sharma to take up the issue after the Question Hour. However, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urged the Speaker to allow a debate on Sharma’s motion, which was accepted.

Sharma, while initiating the debate, raised the issue of the purchase of private land by two individuals, who were allegedly close to the Chief Minister, for Rs 2.60 lakh. The Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) later acquired the land for Rs 6.72 crore.

The Chief Minister said that the MLA was raising the issue due to infighting in the BJP. He alleged that people who had purchased the land were close to a BJP MP. “The two individuals had purchased the land measuring 80 bighas for Rs 2.6 lakh in 2015 but paid a stamp duty of Rs 4.75 lakh. When the HRTC acquired the land, the circle rate of the land had increased, as the road along which it was located was converted into a four-lane highway of the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI).

Sharma alleged large scale corruption in the allotment of liquor vends in the state. He said that the Congress government had clubbed vends in various districts to benefit a few persons, causing revenue loss to the state exchequer. He added that the government had adopted the policy of minimum sale price instead of maximum sale price on liquor bottles, which led to corruption.

Congress’ Arki MLA Sanjay Awasthi, while participating the debate, said that due to the new excise policy adopted by the present government, the revenue had increased to Rs 600 crore per annum. During the previous BJP government, the revenue from liquor was about Rs 150 crore per annum, he claimed.

Sharma also alleged that Kangra Central Cooperative Bank had waived the loan of a former Congress MLA, leading to corruption. He said that the Congress leader owed Rs 5.97 crore but his debt was settled for Rs 2.62 crore. The bank waived Rs 3.35 crore loan payable by the Congress leader, he claimed.

Awasthi countered the allegation saying the bank had settled the loan of the Congress leader as per the RBI policy and there was no corruption.

The issue of the payment made to a hydroelectric power project that led to the court attaching the Himachal Bhawan also came up for discussion with both BJP and Congress MLAs levelling allegations against each other for mismanaging the case.

Other issues such illegal felling of trees, exports, misappropriation of funds in JICA and IDB projects, High Court order on the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) properties and corruption in the Public Works (PWD) and Panchayati Raj department works in the Banjar Assembly constituency also came up for discussion.

Face off over land acquired by HRTC

• Naina Devi MLA Randhir Sharma raised the issue of the purchase of private land for Rs 2.60 lakh by two individuals, who were allegedly close to the Chief Minister, and the HRTC later acquiring it for Rs 6.72 crore
• Sukhu countered the charge saying the MLA was raising the issue due to infighting in the BJP, as people, who had purchased the land, were close to an opposition MP
• Sharma alleged Kangra Central Cooperative Bank had settled a Rs 5.97 crore debt of a former Congress MLA for Rs 2.62 crore