A former chief secretary has publicly criticised the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister over his handling of corruption allegations surrounding the Chester Hill housing project, raising questions about transparency and accountability.
Key Points
- Former Chief Secretary Vinit Chowdhary criticises Himachal CM Sukhu's handling of corruption allegations in the Chester Hill housing project.
- The Chester Hill project faces scrutiny over alleged violations of Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, related to land acquisition by non-agriculturists.
- Acting Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta is embroiled in a public spat with former chief secretaries over the corruption allegations.
- The government has directed an investigation into potential violations of land laws in the Chester Hill project.
- RERA is under scrutiny for its role in addressing alleged violations within the Chester Hill housing project.
Wading into the row over graft allegations in the Chester Hill housing project in Himachal Pradesh, former chief secretary Vinit Chowdhary has taken a swipe at Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, saying the "bucks stop at your desk".
In a Facebook post, Chowdhary, a 1982 batch IAS officer who retired in 2018, slammed the chief minister's handling of the issue.
A public spat has erupted between acting Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta and his three predecessors over allegations of corruption.
Drawing a parallel between the Himachal and Haryana governments on the issue of corruption, Chowdhary's post said, "Corruption Allegations and the Tale of Two States- Haryana and Himachal.
"Haryana suspends two senior IAS officers on charges of corruption.
"Himachal - the Chief Minister flippantly describes the charges as internal bickering amongst three bureaucrats.
"Mr Chief Minister, the buck and the muck stops at your desk. You can't simply say that I don't have full information. It should not take weeks and months to get the information", said the post in a mix of English and Hindi.
Chowdhary, an IAS officer of the Himachal cadre, superannuated on September 30, 2018.
Chester Hill Project Under Scrutiny
The Chester Hill real estate project involves the construction of 228 flats in two phases in a prime location in Solan town of Himachal.
An investigation report submitted by SDO (civil), Solan, had claimed violations of Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, and inaction on the report at the behest of orders from the "top" brass.
It said that non-agriculturist promoters from outside the state were exercising control over the project and termed the arrangement a "benami" to evade restrictions under the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act.
The report also flagged the scale and financial aspects and noted that around 275 bighas were acquired within a short span and developed into housing projects valued at approximately Rs 47.09 crore, and recommended scrutiny by enforcement and income tax authorities.
Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972 imposes restrictions on the sale of agricultural land in the state to non-agriculturists.
The BJP and CPI (M) have demanded action in the matter.
Government Response and RERA's Role
Amid demands for his removal, acting Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta accused three former chief secretaries, Shrikant Baldi, R D Dhiman and Prabodh Saxena of defaming him.
The government has, meanwhile, directed DC, Solan, to institute a case of violation of Section 118 of the HP Land Reforms and Tenancy Act.
The Chief Secretary also sought a detailed explanation from the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) regarding its "inaction" in addressing the alleged violations.
Gupta wrote to RERA Chairman R D Dhiman, asking him to file an explanation within fifteen days.
Dhiman said that RERA was accountable only to the courts, but later, a press statement issued by the Authority asserted that all three projects -- Chester Hill, Chester Hill 1 and Chester Hill 2 -- were registered in accordance with sections 4 and 5 of the RERA Act 2016 after due verification of statutory documents.
RERA examines key aspects like approval from the Town and Country Planning department and Municipal Corporation, Environment clearances and compliance with provisions of Section 118.
The RERA issued three letters to the Solan Deputy Commissioner seeking a response to allegations of violation of Section 118 of the Act, but the reply was still awaited, the release said.
Meanwhile, former RERA chairperson Shrikant Baldi accused the acting CS of deflecting attention from "two illegal orders" passed by him in respect of the project and said that he would meet the chief minister.
Sukhu had maintained that the government would examine the matter in detail and action would be taken if something wrong had happened.
Following the orders of the government to investigate the case of violation of Section 118 against the promoters, the Deputy Commissioner, Solan, has started the enquiry, according to sources.
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