Chandigarh : 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.