'Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law made huge profit on the sale of a plot of land to DLF after he had obtained the change of land use for the same'

The Comptroller and Auditor General has held that the previous Congress government in Haryana had shown undue favours to party president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra in his land deal with real estate player DLF. It has also held that Mr. Vadra made a huge profit on the sale of a plot of land to DLF after he had obtained the change of land use for the same.

The report of the CAG, which was tabled in the Haryana Assembly on the last day of the Budget session on Wednesday, has noted that Skylight Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., a company of set up Mr Vadra with a paid up capital of only Rs 1 lakh, had purchased a 3.5 acre plot from Onkareshwar Properties Ltd at Manesar in Gurgaon in March 2008 for Rs 7.5 crore. Thereafter it had got its land use changed and got a licence for developing the plot into a residential colony. While the land had cost Mr. Vadra only Rs 15 crore, it was sold to DLF for Rs.58 crore after various permissions were obtained from the Congress government in the State.

The auditor has noted that the "possibility of extending undue benefit to particular applicant (company) cannot be ruled out". It has also raised questions on how quick sanctions were provided to Mr. Vadra’s company.

The case had shot into limelight after IAS officer Ashok Khemka had declared the deal illegal and scrapped it. However, the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government had subsequently issued a clean chit to Mr Vadra.

The report was sent to Haryana Government earlier this month after it was signed by CAG Shashi Kant Sharma. It has reviewed all the licences that were granted to private builders. The draft report of the CAG had last year directed the State Government to seek a refund of Rs 41.51 crore from Mr Vadra for the money he made on the DLF deal.

Illegality in allotment for land to Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust being probed

Meanwhile, in another development, the Haryana Government is examining whether there was any illegality in leasing of about 5 acres of panchayat land in Gurgaon to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) for setting up an eye hospital.

Development and Panchayat Minister Om Prakash Dhankar told the House on Wednesday that the State Government would consider handing over the land back to Ulhawas panchayat if the village panchayat sends a proposal in this regard.

Mr. Dhankar said 5 acres and 3 marlas of panchayat land was given to the RGCT on lease for 33 years for setting up a charitable eye hospital at the rate of Rs 3 lakh per acre with a 5 per cent annual increase. He said there was a stipulation that the hospital would be constructed within two years of the lease. “However, the construction period was extended till January 7, 2017 on the request of the Trust. So far, only a shed of 1,200 square feet has been constructed,’’ the Minister informed the House.

The Council of Ministers in the previous Congress government had in February 2010 approved the leasing of the land to RGCT for 33 years following a 2009 resolution by Ulhawas gram panchayat and recommendation of the Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner. Though one of the conditions of lease was that RGCT would put the leased land to the permitted use within two years from the date of commencement of the lease period, the time limit was extended twice by the Congress Government. The Trust was now seeking an extension of time limit till 2019.

The tract of land leased to RGCT, whose change of land use had created a storm in 2011, had also come for scathing criticism from the CAG which had in its report in March 2013 observed that “even after two years, work regarding construction of the eye hospital has not been started by the trust thereby defeating the purpose for which the change of land use (CLU) was granted and land leased.”

Release of 912 acre land in Manesar to be examined

Meanwhile, Haryana Industries and Commerce Minister Captain Abhimanyu said the government was also examining the release of 912 acres of land in the Manesar industrial belt in Gurgaon district by the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda government.

He also raised the issue of the previous Haryana Government under Congress paying Rs 5.20 crore to senior advocate KTS Tulsi and his three assisting counsels to contest the case of arson and rioting at Maruti Suzuki plant in Manesar. The Minister said Mr Tulsi was paid Rs 11.25 lakh per appearance.