Facing allegations of allotment of industrial plots in Panchkula to 'undeserving candidates' during his tenure, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday claimed that no illegality was committed in distribution of plots by previous Congress Government in Haryana.
“No illegality has been committed in the allotment of these plots,” said Hooda when asked about registration of a case of probe by Haryana State Vigilance Bureau last week in connection with allotment of 11 industrial plots in Panchkula Industrial Estate by Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) in December 2011.
During ‘Meet the Press’ programme at Press Club here, he said that a committee had decided on the allotment of plots to the allottees, which included ex-servicemen and women entrepreneurs, and the file had been forwarded to him for approval.
He said, “I have not done anything which violated the law or was against the rules.”
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar had ordered a vigilance probe into the allotment of 11 industrial plots by previous Congress government in Industrial Estate, Panchkula in December 2011 to the "undeserving candidates".
The plots, having area of 496 to 1,280 sq metres, were allegedly allotted to the candidates who were either relatives of the then Chief Minister (Hooda) or those of his close associates and friends, an official statement, released had said.
The Government had received several complaints about alleged irregularities committed in allotment of industrial plots, including the charge-sheet submitted by Indian National lok Dal to the Governor in this regard, the release said.
Asked to comment on the controversies surrounding the Robert Vadra-DlF land deal in Haryana under the previous Congress regime, Hooda said, "There is no illegality committed in that. No undue favour has been shown to anyone. I have said this many times earlier also."
"I am (was) not supposed to know any deal. I was concerned with the government. As far as my government was concerned, every rule has been followed, no concession (favour) has been shown to anybody," he said.
Meanwhile, Hooda charged the BJP-led Haryana Government for trying to "divert people's attention" from its own alleged failures on various fronts.
He alleged a scam in the girdawari (crop damage assessment) undertaken by Haryana Government saying that many farmers, who suffered crop loss in the unseasonal rains, were left out by the state government and demanded a fresh survey.
Countering State Government's claim of maintaining a complete transparency in 'girdawari', Hooda said, "Senior officials (of the Khattar government) have told me that there are orders from the higher ups that girdawari should be kept minimum and less number of persons should be selected for relief."
Hitting out at the Manohar lal Khattar Government, Hooda said it would not be an exaggeration if one describes the six-month-old regime as one based on "falsehood and one which uses jugglery of phrases and figures to tom-tom its achievements".
"See the tall promises they made in their election manifesto (before October 2014 Assembly polls). leave alone fulfilling any of the promise, they (BJP government) have not even taken a step in that direction", said he.
To another question, Hooda said that Congress will oppose any move to rename the Sewa Kendras in Haryana which are named after former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi. Hooda is set to begin a statewide 'Jan Jagran Abhiyan' from Kandela village in Jind district from May 31 against the alleged anti-people policies of the Haryana Government.