Opposition BJP on Wednesday came down heavily on the ruling Congress for its allegation that previous Government indulged in patronising land mafias and said that facts and figure suggests that it was Congress which indulged in such malpractices.
BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt said that recently a case was lodged against a relative of ex-Congress minister for forging a General Power of Attorney (GPA) and he had duped several people who were affected by Renuka Dam construction. “Congress is patronising land mafias,” alleged Dutt.
lashing out at Congress, Dutt said that during assembly elections Congress made an issue that Himachal was on sale during BJP Government but it was during Congress rule that maximum land was allotted under section 118 of land ceiling act of State. “Congress even after scrapping of controversial apartment act by BJP gave licenses to builders and contractors,” said Dutt adding that Congress says what it does not practice. He said that when apartment act was passed in 2005 by Congress, it gave 49 permissions to builders and promoters till 2007 but when BJP came to power in 2008, then in five years, it gave only 12 permissions.
“Similarly under section 118 of land ceiling act from 2003 to 2007, Congress gave 2398 permissions for 18070 bighas of land for non-agriculturists but when BJP came to power in 2008 then till 2012, only 1649 permissions were given for 14, 913 bighas of land,” said Dutt. “It was not the BJP, which put the State on sale but it was Congress and they are just misleading the people in Mandi bye-poll like they did in assembly polls,” added Dutt.
“They (Congressmen) kept shouting during assembly polls that BJP gave lands to private universities arbitrarily but when the question came up in the assembly, revenue minister himself said that no land was given arbitrarily,” he added.