Alleging scam in the State Government’s decision to purchase land of tea estate for smart city, Aam Aadami Party (AAP) leader Anoop Nautiyal said that the way the 40-year-old case was rushed through the ADM court in the months of September and October 2015, raises serious question mark over the intention of the State Government.
Addressing media persons at the State party office on Tuesday the AAP leader said that the State Government was engaged in a protracted legal battle with the owner of Tea estate from March 23 1976. The case was proceeding in the court of ADM. He said that the court had sent notice to the tea company in the month of April last year that the land in question belongs to the Government.
“Suddenly proceedings achieve such a pace that 11 hearing were held within two months and from October 12 to October 16, 2015 daily hearings were held and the State Government loses the case. Interestingly the State Cabinet on October 31 decides to purchase the land from the Dehradun Tea Company,” Nautiyal said.
The AAP leader further stated that the State Government should have appealed against the decision but it decided to purchase the land which raises specter of a big scam. Nautiyal claimed that it is an open and shut case of corruption and alleged that State Chief Minister is showing special affinity for land which is surprising.
He claimed that the State Government has not understood the concept of smart city. Giving the examples of proposals of other cities he said that Ahmedabad has submitted a proposal to transform its 8,000 slums under the project while Chhattisgarh capital Raipur wants to make its city market area smart under the project. He claimed that only 25 acres of land is needed for smart city and the Dehradun municipal corporation is spread in an area of 15,900 acres. The AAP leader said that instead of purchasing the land of tea estate the State Government should have gone for improvement of the present city.
He said that corruption has increased in the State so much so that Uttrakhand now has the dubious distinction of being the most corrupt State in the country. The AAP leader criticised BJP for acting as friendly opposition to the Congress party in State.