The differences in the State Government over the issue of investigation of corruption charges levelled in a chargesheet drafted under a team by Cabinet Minister GS Bali, came out in the open on Thursday.
The Minister GS Bali on Thursday said that Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) centric investigation had neglected other serious issues pointed out in the chargesheet.
Responding to a media query, Bali said that the chargesheet had documented several cases but the Government was only focussing on dealings of HP Cricket Association.
Notably, the Congress had brought out a chargesheet against previous BJP Government headed by Prem Kumar Dhumal and it was submitted to President Pranab Mukherjee for a probe.
While talking to media persons, the Minister asked the Chief Minister to also get the several large benami land deals, violations by Bamloe builders in constructing a residential colony in a green area, the fallen through Bantony Castle deal and several other issues documented investigated with urgency, as the HP Cricket Association centric association was leading to a neglect of equally important corruption issues raised in the Congress chargesheet.
“As chairman of the team that framed the Congress chargesheet, we had documented several issues of commission and omission done by the then BJP government, but by only taking up HPCA cases for investigation, the other issues were facing neglect,” said Bali.
The Government has kept the kettle boiling in the HPCA case, where a society registered under the State act was transformed into a not for profit company by its president, Anurag Thakur and other lifetime member. Construction of Dharamshala cricket stadium by allegedly encroaching upon Government land is also a case being investigated against HPCA and its functioning.
In the run up to the State Assembly election in 2012, as an Opposition party Congress had blamed the BJP Government for having put Himachal on sale because of alleged numerous benami land deals.
Himachal special land laws give discretionary powers to the Cabinet for permitting any outsider, non-Himachali and a non-agriculturalist to buy agricultural land in the state.
Given the heavy demand from builders and potential second home owners and the restrictions in permissions granted for buying land; to overcome the stringent laws many evade it by illegally buying land in the name of a resident Himachali.
The chargesheet documented by Bali’s team had pointed out to several benami deals struck in complete violation of the state land laws during Dhumal’s tenure as Chief Minister.
Congress had also created ruckus both in the State Assembly and outside over permission granted to a high builder by the then Dhumal government to develop a gated colony in a thickly forested area.
The issue figured in Bali’s chargesheet as did an effort made by an NRI to buy prime property Bantony Castle right in the city centre for setting up a star hotel property.
After change of government, the Virbhadra Government had announced plans to acquire Bantony for setting up a city museum.