Alleging large-scale corruption in the functioning of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ajendra Ajay has submitted a memorandum to State Governor Krishan Kant Paul requesting an independent high level probe into the charges.
In the memorandum, Ajay states that the MDDA has failed to fulfill its aims of ensuring town planning and effectively address planned urban development related issues.
He states, “The MDDA has been working in a manner which nurtures precedence to focus on the interests of the private builders, criminal land nexus and encroachers contrary to the mandate given to the authority. Since creation of Uttarakhand state, the MDDA has been able to develop only a few housing schemes in the interests of the public.
According to the information received in reply to an application submitted under the Right To Information Act, during the year 2002 the MDDA had allocated 100 weaker-section type residences in its Kedarpuram residential scheme.
During the year 2005, the authorities had undertaken allocation to the weaker section of 45 duplex units under the Navyug Enclave housing scheme and 34 duplex at the Sahastradhara housing scheme in addition to the allocation of 16 flats during 2005.
Probably, these schemes were approved before state formation. During 2012, 45 middle income group housing units had been allocated by the authority at its ISBT housing scheme. During 2014 the MDDA had conducted the allocation of 560 flats. The MDDA had proposed a scheme for construction of 132 middle income group flats near Transportnagar in 2015. This scheme was much publicized with time period for registration here was set from July 6 to August 5, 2015 but surprisingly, only 449 application forms could be sold for registration under the scheme whereas earlier in 2014, when 3,332 applications had been received for the 560 flats available at the ISBT housing scheme.
The high price of the flats set by the MDDA was among the major reasons for this,” stated Ajay. He further states that the 2 BHK flats proposed by MDDA at Transportnagar have been priced at Rs 45 lakh each which is more than the amount asked for flats being constructed by private real developers and building enterprises. This shows that the authority has failed in its task of facilitating housing facility at fair price to the masses while focusing on ensuring the welfare of private developers and construction firms, he said.
Raising other related issues including quality of work and material, along with the “failure of MDDA to pay attention to undertake work under the smart city project as per the government standards”, which is the main reason for Dehradun smart city proposal being rejected by the ministry thrice till date. Ajay said that R Meenakshi Sundaram had been handling the post of the MDDA vice chairman without break since April 16, 2012 whereas according to the rules, he should have been transferred elsewhere after completing three years of tenure.
Citing these concerns, Ajay requested the governor for an independent and impartial probe into the alleged corruption cahrges.