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Congress seeks probe into Home Minister's land deal

Special Correspondent

Minister "misused his position" to influence land price

JAIPUR: The Congress party has demanded an inquiry into alleged land deals of Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria along National Highway No. 8 near Udaipur. The Minister, who "misused his position" to influence the land price and evade registration charges, should step down facing an enquiry, the party has said.

Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president B.D.Kalla said Mr.Kataria managed to buy 7.5 bighas of land in Moodwas village, some 20 km from Udaipur, paying Rs.7,36,500 when the market value of the land was about Rs.60 lakhs. The plots were purchased from about a dozen local farmers at a rate much less than that fixed by DLC (District level committee), he alleged.

Mr.Kalla, who provided the details of the deal to media persons here over the weekend, said reduced stamp duty was paid for registration of the plots (Khasra nos.1159, 1160,1161 and 1164) carried out between January and March 2005. To justify the reduced value of the plots the Minister provided misleading information on the location of the land in question. "The Minister had testified that the land was situated half a kilometre from the NH while in reality it is adjoining the highway. Again, he had testified that the land was far from human habitation but it is not," he pointed out.

"It is unbecoming of the Home Minister of the State to furnish wrong information in government matters," Mr.Kalla observed. "To make a registry at a rate less than DLC is revenue evasion. If it happens with an ordinary citizen, it becomes a case under Section 420," he observed.

Accusing Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje of extending protection to `corrupt' ministers, Mr.Kalla said the post of Lok Ayukt had been lying vacant for more than a year. "Ms.Raje should take the responsibility for the current situation as the allegations against Ministers could have been referred to Lok Ayukt, if there had been one on the post," he said. Mr.Kataria, who blamed his party men more than the Congress for the current "exposure", has conceded that there could be "some discrepancies" in the stamp duty paid. The oversight over the payment of duty could be settled, he suggested. Mr.Kataria said he had offered the District Collector to pay the balance amount due from him. Mr.Kataria, however, did not mince words when he made it known that his party colleagues were behind the charges against him and not the Opposition leaders.

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