It’s not only the Robert Vadra owned—Skylight Hospitality Pvt ltd—that was given undue favours by the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress Government in Haryana.
Apart from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra company Skylight Hospitality Pvt ltd, the Comptroller and Auditor General has named four more companies which were given undue favours by the previous Congress Government in Haryana. The CAG has also blamed the then Hooda Government for not undertaking the planning of NCR in consonance with Regional Plan of National Capital Regional Planning Board.
Besides the lack of transparency and consistency in the procedures to grant licenses to private colonisers, the CAG has revealed that there were irregularities in allotment of plots under reserve categories.
In its report for 2013-14 tabled in the Haryana Assembly on Wednesday, the CAG stated that internal control system was inadequate as reflected in non revalidation of bank guarantees, non renewal of licences and short recover of renewal licence fees etc as also in an unauthorised collection from applicants by a coloniser.
“lack of transparency and consistency in development of commercial areas by colonisers was noticed in processing applications of colonisers, deciding the compactness of the area to be developed, development of internal roads, fixing area norms for setting up commercial colonies, assessing financial adequacy, interpretation of development plan and transfer of licenses etc. Resultantly, the possibility of extending undue benefit to particular applicants can not be ruled out. Five developers earned profit of Rs215.21 crore over cost of Rs52.26 crore on sale of land without completing the projects,” stated the CAG report.
Apart from Skylight Hospitality Pvt ltd, 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 have been named in the CAG report.
These five licensees sold the land for Rs267.47 crore which they had purchased for Rs52.26 crore and earned a profit of Rs215.21 crore in such transactions while the State Government was deprived of its shared of net profit.
“In two cases (i.e. Sun Star Builders Pvt ltd and Witness Construction Pvt ltd) and Botil Oil Tools India Pvt ltd, formerly known as Baker Oil Tools Pvt ltd, the land was sold at 303 times and 880 times the original cost of the land respectively to their collaborators/developers within few months of grant of license,” elaborated the CAG.
Vadra’s company, Skylight Hospitality, had sold a prime 3.5 acre piece of land in Gurgaon district to DlF in 2008 for Rs58 crore. The CAG also pointed out that 2,563 houses constructed at a cost of Rs93.88 crore in Faridabad and Gurgaon without proper survey under ‘Ashiana scheme’ for economically weaker sections remained unalloted due to non-availability of eligible persons. The CAG has recommended defining specific criteria for entertaining applications for developing commercial colonies, determining area norms among other factors.
And, also to ensure the consonance of sub regional plan with the regional plan of National Capital Regional Planning Board, monitoring the development of the State on a regular basis and segregating data relating to planned land and utilised land.
As per the information tabled in recently concluded Haryana Vidhan Sabha session, 11 districts of Haryana namely Gurgaon, Rewari, Faridabad, Palwal, Mewat, Rohtak, Sonipat, Paniapt, Jhajjar, Mahendergarh and Bhiwani are included in national capital region (NCR).
The proposal for inclusion of Jind and Karnal districts in NCR was approved by the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) in its meeting held on January 20, 2014. The notification is, however yet to be released by the Centre.
CAG on NHRM
Against the requirement of 125 community health centres (CHCs), 501 PHCs and 3006 Sub centres (SCs), the CAG said that 112 CHCs, 485 PHCs and 2630 SCs are available in the State besides shortage of medical and paramedical staff ranging between 7 to 30 percent. Also, there was shortage of essential drugs in test-checked general hospitals, CHCs and PHCs during 2010-14. Drug kits were not provided to 4800 out of 16800 accredited social health activists in the State.
CAG on education sector
The pass percentage of students of class XII and X declined sharply from 89.33 per cent to 71.16 per cent and from 79.58 to 49.78 per cent respectively. The fee structure of private recognised schools was not monitored by the Department.
Out of 91 upgraded schools in test-checked districts, 55 schools were not fulfilling the prescribed norms of classrooms, number of students, area of schools premises etc.
As against 37236 sanctioned posts in the cadres of Principals, Headmasters and lecturers, the actual strength was 10979. The functioning of ICT laboratories established by a service provided was rated as poor by 102 out of 123 schools from whom feedback was obtained.
CAG on Home and Police Departments
Non-procurement of required equipment for firing range by the Police Department resulted in blockage of GOI funds of Rs7.50 crore besides a building constructed at a cost of Rs136 crore also remained unutilised.
Despite shortage of officers and operational police force, police personnel were posted in excess of sanctioned strength in some offices. Shortage in forensic science laboratory was to the extent of 50 per cent resulting in increase of pendency of samples.
Crime ratio in the State was also very hight in comparison to neighbouring States. Scrutiny of records of State Crime Branch showed that number of registered crime had increased from 79379 in 2009 to 104090 in 2013.
CAG on welfare schemes on girls
Delay of five to 32 months was observed in release of Vivah Shagun to 1,082 claimants. Rs10.95 crore was paid to 5,153 beneficiaries under ladli social security scheme without proper verification. 4,000 girls students were deprived of yoga classes and self defence training. The sex ratio had decreased in Jind and Hisar during the period 2009-14.