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Vindicated by CAG report, but continue to suffer: Khemka
Chandigarh, March 26
Senior IAS officer of
Haryana cadre Ashok Khemka on Thursday said his action of cancelling a
multi-million-rupee land deal between Robert Vadra, son-in-law of
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, with realty giant DLF, has been
"vindicated" by a CAG report.
Khemka tweeted: "My action in
VADRA-DLF land-license deal vindicated in CAG report, but continue to
suffer the stigma of chargesheet."
Khemka, however, questioned
the CAG report and said: "Many issues untouched in the CAG report. Cycle
of corruption involved the triad - business, politics and bureaucracy."
The
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, tabled in the Haryana
assembly on the last day of the budget session which ended on Wednesday,
blamed Haryana's previous Congress government led by then chief
minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for showing undue favours to Vadra in
his land deal with DLF.
Vadra's company, Skylight Hospitality,
sold a prime 3.5 acre of land in Manesar, Gurgaon, to DLF in 2008 for
Rs.58 crore. The land had, however, only cost his company around Rs.15
crore and was sold to DLF after obtaining change of land use (CLU) and
other permissions from the Hooda government.
Vadra made a clear Rs.43 crore but did not share the profits with Haryana's town and country planning department.
The
report said the "possibility of extending undue benefit to particular
applicant (Vadra's company) cannot be ruled out." It has also questioned
the "distinction" made by the Hooda government for Vadra's company in
giving permissions.
Khemka, who had ordered the scrapping of the
land deal saying, that it was illegal, was transferred and served a
chargesheet for his actions by the Hooda government, which gave Vadra a
clean chit.
"Real culprits sit in judgment over me. My pain and
suffering may help to detox and cleanse the body politic," he tweeted,
without naming anyone.
With reference to the new BJP government
in Haryana, Khemka questioned whether those involved in wrongdoings in
land deals and looting public money would face any action.
"Black-marketing
of licenses and permits to cronies is loot of public wealth. Will
action be taken against the black-marketers?" he asked.
Khemka is the secretary and commissioner of Haryana's transport department.
The
CAG has indicated that the Hooda government had obliged Vadra with
quick sanction of the permissions required. Some other companies being
favoured also figured in the CAG report.
The controversy became a
national issue with opposition parties alleging that the then Congress
government was doing everything to help Vadra in his land deals in the
National Capital Region and areas around Delhi.
Vadra had bought land in four districts of Gurgaon, Palwal, Faridabad and Mewat in Haryana adjoining Delhi.
Alleging
that Vadra's land deals caused loss of crores of rupees to the state
exchequer, Khemka marked a probe into all land deals of Vadra and his
companies since 2005.