Haryana Government on Thursday constituted a one-man commission to probe into the alleged illegal land deals including controversial land deal involving Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra during the previous Congress regime in the State. Justice SN Dhingra, retired Judge of the Delhi High Court, will probe the issues concerning the grant of licences for developing commercial colonies by the Haryana Department of Town and Country Planning to some entities in Sector 83, Gurgaon during the Congress rule.
The Commission will submit its report to the State Government as soon as possible but not later than six months from the date of its first sitting. A spokesperson of the State Government on Thursday said that the Commission would also probe land’s subsequent transfer or disposal, allegations of private enrichment, ineligibility of beneficiaries under the rules, and other connected matters.
Issues concerning public importance related to the grant of licences and alleged illegalities have come to the notice of the State Government, he said. The Commission will make an inquiry and give its findings and recommendations on the circumstances under which licences for development of commercial colonies were granted to some entities in Sector 83, Gurgaon, whether the said entities were eligible for grant of licences as per the applicable laws among other factors.
The commission will also recommend measures which may be adopted to meet the ends of justice, particularly with a view to take corrective action to prevent loss of revenue to the public exchequer and also prevention of undue private enrichment at the cost of the public exchequer in such cases in the future, added the spokesperson.
Notably, the Comptroller and Auditor General report tabled in State Assembly in March had blamed the previous Congress led Haryana Government for giving undue favours to Robert Vadra in his multi-million rupee controversial land deal.
The CAG had stated that Vadra owned company - Skylight Hospitality Pvt ltd made huge profit on the sale of a plot of land after he had obtained the change of land use for the same. 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.
Apart from Vadra’s company, the CAG had named four more companies which were given undue favours by the then Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led State Government in Haryana.
Four 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 were 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.