The Hindu : New Delhi News : Scam alleged in delaying of industrial notification

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 27, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Scam alleged in delaying of industrial notification

Staff Reporter

`Being done deliberately to benefit a few individuals'

NEW DELHI: Charging that a well planned conspiracy had been hatched at the behest of some property dealers and vested interests in the Delhi Government to delay the notification for regularising residential areas having more than 70 per cent industrial units, Nationalist Congress Party MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri on Monday alleged that "fraudulent investments" running into hundreds of crores of rupees had been made and a CBI inquiry should be ordered to bring out the truth.

Initiating a short duration discussion on non-regularisation of industries and delay in the necessary notification, Mr. Bidhuri said it seemed the notification was being deliberately delayed to benefit a few individuals who had made huge investments in Bawana and Narela industrial estates. "It is a fact that the day the notification is issued the property rates would come down drastically in Bawana and Narela area. A large number of people including property dealers and some political heads have made investments to the tune of Rs. 300 crores there and are indulging in speculative gains. This entire issue needs to be probed thoroughly by the CBI so as to unearth the truth," he stated.

Stating that resale of plots in Bawana and Narela had been banned by the Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Bidhuri asked: "how have people made such investments when it could only be done by an original allottee?" He said the Central Government issued a notification way back in June this year and asked the Delhi Government to do the necessary at its end including chalking out of a redevelopment plan.

However, this has not been done till date and the Industry Minister, Mangat Ram Singhal, had been making contradictory statements in the media leading to confusion among the people and lakhs of industrial units and workers whose future was at stake. Demanding early action to get the issue sorted out, Mr. Bidhuri said any delay would only benefit the property dealers and speculators.

Mukesh Sharma (Cong) said he had met Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit last month over the same issue but despite a promise of prompt action nothing had been done.

Refuting any ulterior motives in the whole issue, Mr. Singhal said the Delhi Government was also carrying out a fresh survey of additional areas and after its report came in necessary action would be taken to issue the notification that benefit a large number of units and people. Asserting the Government would not allow anybody to indulge in speculative activities, Mr. Singhal said if any individual or group was found involved in any such action, the Government would deal with them very firmly and said government would not succumb to any kind of blackmail from any quarters and even urged his opponents to move the CBI against him.

He told the House that the Government was alive to the problems faced by thousands of industrial units and workers and assured that their interests would be protected at any cost. He said the list of certain areas having more than 70 per cent was sent to the Lieutenant-Governor for approval but he raised certain objections. However, the Government will move to sort out all the issues and ensure that a notification is issued soon to provide relief to the people.

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