Govt selling industrial land to builders, alleges BJP

DEHRADUN: Accusing the state government of selling off precious land meant for industrial purposes to builders, the BJP in Uttarakhand today demanded a high-level probe into such alleged deals.

However, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna rubbished the charges terming them as "pack of lies".

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajay Bhatt asked the government to clarify whether 23.77 acres of land in Pantnagar SIDCUL were not sold to real state company Supertech.

Bhatt also sought an explanation from the government over alleged sale of 23.18 acres of land in Haridwar SIDCUL to Platenet Infra promoter.

"The government must clarify whether it did not sell the land meant for industries in Pantnagar SIDCUL to builders," the BJP leader said in a statement here.

Bhatt alleged that real estate firm Supertech bought 23.77 acres of land in Pantnagar SIDCUL for Rs 55.79 crore at the rate of Rs 5,800 per square meter from the government and then sold it off in connivance with the state government to some private party for Rs 3.7 billion at the rate of Rs 32,000 per square metre.

Claiming that the land was originally meant for building low cost houses for labourers, he asked the state government how could the targeted beneficiaries (labourers) afford the houses available on the land for Rs 37 lakh to Rs 40 lakh.

Bhatt also asked the state government whether it did not allocate 23.18 acres of land in Haridwar SIDCUL to Platenet Infra promoter alleging that the plot was sold off to the firm for Rs 55.31 crore at the rate of Rs 6,600 per square metre which in turn was sold off for Rs 2.62 billion to some other party by Platenet Infra.

Bhatt accused the government of hobnobbing with builders and minting money in this manner to pump into 2014 general elections.

He also alleged that after disposing off precious industrial land in Pantnagar and Haridwar, the government has its eyes set on 5 acres of land at IT park and 4.5 acres of land at Sahasradhara road in Dehradun.

However, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has rubbished the charges as a pack of lies accusing Bhatt of being in the habit of levelling unfounded allegations against the government.