The Haryana Cabinet on Monday gave ex-post facto approval to the appointment of Inquiry Commission to probe into the alleged illegal land deals in Sector 83 Gurgaon including controversial land deal involving Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and real estate player DlF during the previous Congress Government regime.
After chairing the Cabinet meet, Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar said that keeping with one of its key prepoll promises, the State Government has constituted Judicial Commission to inquire into issues concerning the grant of license for developing commercial colonies in Sector 83 Gurgaon by the Town and Country Planning Department during the then Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government in the State.
The Chief Minister said that many complaints were received on this issue and Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had also stated that five companies were given undue favours by the previous Congress Government. The State Government had last month appointed Justice SN Dhingra, retired Judge of the Delhi High Court, to probe the matter. The Government is expecting to receive the inquiry report by December 2015. The Commission will submit its report within six months of its first meeting, said Manohar lal Khattar.
The headquarters of the one-man inquiry commission will be at Gurgaon and a separate room equipped with audio-visual recording facility will be provided at the Gurgaon office of the Commission. An HCS officer will be provided as Secretary to the Commission. Beside, a police office of suitable seniority who has handled investigation matter will be posted. The CAG 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. Skylight Hospitality, had sold a prime 3.5 acre piece of land in Gurgaon district to DlF in 2008 for Rs58 crore. Apart from Vadra’s company, the CAG had named four more 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, who were given undue favours by the Hooda Government.
State Administrative Tribunal constituted
The Haryana Government has set up State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) to provide quicker redressal of employees’ grievances regarding service matters. In view of the increasing number of court cases, particularly service matters of employees, it has been considered advantageous and essential that SAT is established in the State. Its establishment in the State will not only provide quicker redressal of employees’ grievances or service matters, said the Chief Minister.
He said nearly 10,000 cases of Haryana Government employees’ are pending in the High Court. With the constitution of SAT, the new cases will be filed with the Tribunal while the pending cases will be shifted to it. Only appeals will be filed with High Court now. Such Tribunals are functional in states like Uttarakhand, Karnataka, said Manohar lal Khattar.
Punjab Police Rules amended
The Haryana Government has amended Punjab Police Rules for the implementation of transparent recruitment process (TRP) in Haryana Police. The Cabinet also decided to amend Haryana Police Act 2007 to provide for police recruitment by Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) instead of State-level Police Recruitment Board.
The sanctioned and posted strength of Haryana police is 56,553 and 43,900 respectively, whereas 12,643 posts of different categories are lying vacant which is nearly 22.35 per cent. From now onwards, all direct recruitment of non-gazetted ranks in police service will be carried out by HSSC. The eligible candidates will be put to a physical screening test carrying maximum 15 marks to judge their physical fitness and endurance.
Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) or any other superior and reliable technology will be used to ensure reliability of this test at the discretion of HSSC. All those candidates who qualify the physical screening test would be given a knowledge test of 60 marks comprising of objective type, multiple choice questions with a provision of negative marking.
VAT on biofertilisers exempted
After making an announcement during its maiden Budget for fiscal 2015-16, Haryana Government has exempted the biofertilisers from levy of VAT in the State to bring it at par with chemical fertilisers. At present, the bio-fertilisers are taxable at the rate of 5 per cent whereas chemical fertilisers are tax free in the State.
The Government has also reduced the VAT from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent on lED lights which are energy saving and environment friendly. It has also reduced the VAT rate of pipe fittings from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent in the State to bring consistency in the tax rates of pipes and pipe fittings. Presently, all kinds of pipes are taxable at the rate of 5 per cent whereas pipe fittings are taxable at the rate of 12.5 per cent.
Strength of HPSC increased
The strength of employees of Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) has been increased by amending Haryana Public Service Commission (Conditions of Service) Regulations 1972. As per the amendment, now the number of members of HPSC is increased from existing six to eight, in addition to the chairman.
The Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval for brining the posts of Post Graduate Teachers (PGT)/ Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) and other teachers under the purview of HSSC by making amendment in Government notification dated January 28, 1970.
Khattar hits back at Karnal MP
Reacting to the allegations made by BJP MP from Karnal, Ashwani Kumar Chopra that the Haryana Government has failed to deliver in the past seven months, the Chief Minister Manohar lal hit back saying that MPs work is related to the Centre while the MlAs and State Government work for the State.
People who actually work, knows the definition of working, said Manohar lal while talking a dig at Karnal MP. He added the State Government has performed well in the past seven months and have done work of 14 months in just seven months. Karnal MP had also alleged that good officers have been sidelined in the State and a section of unbridled bureaucracy, which was not in control of the Chief Minister are controlling the BJP Government in Haryana.
Compensation to affected people in Ballabgarh riots
Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar on Monday said that talks are on to resolve the issue between Muslim and Hindu community at Atali village in Ballabgarh, where violence broke out last week over the issue of construction of a Mosque. “The situation is under control now. The Government will provide compensation to the affected people,” said the Chief Minister. Some houses and a few vehicles belonging to the Muslim community were torched by Hindus in Atali village. About 400 Muslims of the village continued to live in the compound of Ballabgarh police station since then. Muslims constructing a religious place at the land was said to be behind the violence.