Irregularity in allotment of RHB property to BJP MLA: Lokayukta
JAIPUR: This could be the first litmus test for the Vasundhara Raje government. The state Lokayukta, Justice SS Kothari (retd), has mandated action against BJP’s senior most MLA Suryakanta Vyas and a few senior officials in a seven-year-old arbitrary lease allotment of a property in Jodhpur.
The preliminary enquiry report of Lokayukta Rajasthan has concluded gross irregularity in lease allotment of a Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) property in the name of Vyas, BJP legislator from Soorsagar in Jodhpur district. The report was submitted to the chief secretary in the third week of January. But officials are cooling their heels over it although Lokayukta had sought action taken report within three months time. According to the report, “The MLA from Soorsagar, Vyas, was wrongfully allotted house no. 17E-757 in 2007, the residential property in Jodhpur, which was officially reserved for housing board commissioner. Report states that by a conspiracy, Vyas was granted 50% rebate on the total cost of Rs 33,11,631 of which she had to pay only Rs 17,51,003 causing a loss to the state exchequer. Add to that her original allotment was changed from one time cash payment to hire purchase system.”
Vasundhara Raje was chief minister when the allotment was made. The report has indicted Pratap Singh Singhvi, then minister in charge UDH, Parvinder Singh Panwar, principal secretary UDH, O P Gupta, deputy secretary-II UDH and Ajay Pal Singh, then chairman of Rajasthan Housing Board, for facilitating the allotment with undue favours to Vyas.
More than Over three months have passed since the report was sent to the government but no action has been initiated so far. The state government has not bothered to inform the Lokayukta about any follow-up action also. The Lokayukta has found O P Gupta guilty for allowing the issuance and signing the allotment letter of the house to Vyas on February 19, 2007, when he knew that even the agenda note and minutes for deliberation of the allotment committee were not approved.
The proceedings of the allotment committee were signed by Gupta on February 17, 2007, when there was no approval for the constitution of this committee. Approval for the committee according to records, however, was obtained only on February 24, 2007.
The then Housing Board chairman, Ajay Pal Singh, has been held guilty for violating rule 8(a) of RHB (Disposal of Property) Regulation 1970 by changing the mode of payment of the allotted house from one-time payment to hire purchase system. According to the rule, the payment system once agreed to by the applicant cannot be changed later.
According to the report additional chief secretary, UDH, should ensure recovery of Rs 16,43,900 with interest as the order of reducing the cost of the house was arbitrary and not permissible under 8(a) of RHB (Disposal of Property) Regulation 1970.
When contacted, the present Housing Board commissioner, Anand Kumar, said, “We had received the report and have initiated necessary action as directed by the Lokayukta. At the moment I can’t recall exactly how much has been calculated as the amount to be recovered or if the money has been deposited.”
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