The Haryana Government has issued a notice to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's company Skylight Hospitality ltd, seeking details of a land deal in Gurgaon with realty major DlF, for the purpose of imposing tax.
Haryana Excise and Taxation Department has asked Vadra's company to furnish information regarding the total value of the land sold to DlF, total value of the licence sold to DlF and any other transaction in the nature of sale eligible to VAT.
In the notice, the Department has said that “the record made available by the Department of Town and Country Planning shows that the company was granted licence in 2008 to develop commercial project in Gurgaon. Further information gathered shows that this licence was sold by the company to DlF for around Rs 58 crore”.
“It has been brought to the notice of this authority that aside from selling land, the company has sold a licence for huge consideration to the above buyer,” said the notice.
It added, “Such licence having sales value covered by the definition of the word “goods” as available under Section 2 (1) of the Haryana Value Added Tax Act (HVAT) 2003. The proceeds of the sale will, therefore, constitute sales price exigible to tax under HVAT Act 2003”.
Haryana Excise and Taxation Officer (Gurgaon) Partap Singh confirming the same said, “We have issued a show-cause notice to Skylight Hospitaly ltd, Gurgaon and sought details of transaction (with DlF),”
He said the company has been asked to reply to the notice by October 26.
Notably IAS officer Ashok Khemka had cancelled the land mutation of 3.53 acres, which Vadra had sold to DlF for Rs 58 crore in October 2012.
Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar, while commenting on the notice issued to Vadra's company on Tuesday, said there was no intention to target anyone in particular.
“look, it is not just one company, all the defaulters have been sent the notices,” said the Chief Minister while talking to the mediapersons.
The Haryana Government had in May constituted a one-man commission to probe the alleged illegal land deals including controversial land deal involving Robert Vadra and real estate player DlF during the previous Congress regime in the state.
He said that Justice SN Dhingra Commission is probing the issues concerning the grant of licenses for developing commercial colonies by the Haryana Department of Town and Country Planning to some entities in Sector 83, Gurgaon during the Congress rule. We have provided the information sought by the Commision recently.
Notably, the Comptroller and Auditor General report tabled in state Assembly in March had blamed the previous Congress led Haryana Government for giving undue favours to Robert Vadra in his multi-million rupee controversial land deal with real estate player DlF.
The CAG had stated that Vadra owned company-Skylight Hospitality Pvt ltd made huge profit on the sale of a plot of land to DlF after he had obtained the change of land use for the same. Vadra's company, Skylight Hospitality, had sold a prime 3.5 acre piece of land in Gurgaon district to DlF in 2008 for Rs 58 crore.
Apart from Vadra's company, the CAG had named four more companies which were given undue favours by the then Bhupinder Singh Hooda led Haryana Government. Four licencees namely Sun Star Builders Pvt ltd, Witness Construction Pvt ltd, Botil Oil Tools Indian Private limited, Uppal Housing Pvt ltd and Mark Buildtech Pvt. ltd were named in the CAG report. These five licensees including Vadra's company sold the land for Rs 267.47 crore which they had purchased for Rs 52.26 crore and earned a profit of Rs 215.21 crore in such transactions while the State Government was deprived of its shared of net profit.