Author: Pioneer News Service
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 17, 2002
The Bharatiya Janata Party leaders
are of the opinion that issues which have no "scandalous dimensions" are
being projected as scams as part of a malicious campaign against the Government.
Some leaders expressed "outrage" at the "systematic" campaign against the
Government, saying if there was anything wrong in allotting land to socio-political
and charitable institutions in the Capital, then the "scam" was going on
since 1950, initiated by the Congress.
"We are unable to understand why
the authors of the so-called scams are selectively maligning the image
of a few ministers who are not involved in any wrongdoing, while conveniently
ignoring the real scamsters," a senior BJP minister asked.
They cited the example of an allotment
of 1.523 acres of land in Defence Colony which had been made to an organisation
called 'The Nations' League of Pen Friends' also known as 'Dr Radhakrishnan
International School' in 1962 which had not made any contribution to society.
"Will that come in the category of a scam? Will the Opposition leaders
and the scam-writers explain the logic behind allotting land to it?" they
asked. "It is our Government which initiated proceedings to save prime
land worth crores of rupees. What pains us is that the Congress, which
itself has allotted prime land in Delhi is raising a hue and cry, when
our Government is allotting land to genuine organisations, strictly adhering
to the norms and procedures," a senior BJP leader said.
The BJP leaders argue that a land-allotment
scam took place when Ms Shiela Kaul, then Minister of Urban Development,
allotted a piece of prime land to her son. "Initially, Ms Kaul allotted
the land to her son at a price fixed for institutional land. Subsequently,
the case was reconsidered and she gave the land at one-fifth of the price
originally decided upon. This is a clear case of nepotism and a scam,"
the BJP leader said.
Similarly, the land allotted to
Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre headed by veteran Congress leader
and present Uttaranchal Chief Minister Narain Dutt Tiwari in 1969 is still
lying unused. "They have not construct a building till date while repeatedly
requesting for extension of time for constructing the building and seeking
permission to mortgage the land for raising funds."
Sources in the Urban Development
Ministry revealed that nearly an acre of land was allotted to Congress
Bhawan Trust for the construction of an office of the All-India Congress
Committee in 1976 at Rajendra Prasad Road. Subsequently the name of the
trust was changed to Jawahar Bhawan Trust.
Though 0.2 acre land at Rouse Avenue
had been allotted to former Prime Minister and president of Yuva Bharati
Trust Chandra Shekhar in 1979, no construction has been carried out so
far.
The Urban Development Ministry sources
said that the land allotted to Bihar Association for Rajendra Bhawan Trust
presently headed by Rameshwar Thakur and Meira Kumar was being misused
for commercial purposes.
Another glaring example of misuse
of land in the Capital was the allotment of half an acre land to another
prominent Congress leader Vidya Charan Shukla, chairman of the Bharti Sangam.
No construction has been done so far and the BS still owes an amount of
Rs 50 lakh to the Government. The All-India Centre for Urban and Rural
Development headed by another Congress leader and former member of Parliament
D P Ray was also allotted prime land in Bhai Veer Singh Marg.
The BJP leaders argue it was not
only the land allotted to politicians being misused but the allotments
to run newspapers were also grossly exploited for commercial purposes,
which is against the norms.
They ask what is wrong in allotting
land to social organisations and institutions. "Do our critics wish that
we should encourage the land mafia in New Delhi by either keeping it unutilised
or sell it off. The Government has a social commitment to allow genuine
organisation to work by providing some facilities. Even then, we are not
giving the land free. The organisations have to pay the prescribed amount
to secure the land," they said.
