By IANS
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Wednesday said Priyanka Gandhi’s purchase of land in the state will not be investigated as it is not illegal.
“Priyanka Gandhi’s land deal is not being probed into as it was approved by the state cabinet and also by the president’s house in New Delhi. But investigations will be ordered into all alleged illegal land deals that were carried out in the past five years,” Dhumal said.
Dhumal was reacting to news reports Wednesday that the state government was investigating some 200 alleged illegal land deals, including Priyanka’s purchase of a plot of land near here, that were cleared during the previous Congress regime across the state.
Only people belonging to Himachal Pradesh are legally allowed to purchase land in rural parts of the state. People sometimes circumvent the law by registering the land in the name of a local resident.
Prem Kumar, principal secretary of the state revenue department, confirmed that the state government has begun investigating all illegal deals of the past five years.
Priyanka has been a regular visitor to Wildflower Hall and Retreat since childhood. Last year, the Himachal Pradesh government gave her permission to buy a one-acre plot near the retreat, about 15 km from here.
However, she had to take permission from Rashtrapati Bhawan to build a house on the plot as it is in a high security zone near the summer residence of the president.