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Congress seeks probe into Minister’s assets

BHOPAL: The Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Jamuna Devi, and the media in-charge of the Congress legislature party (CLP), Satyadev Katare, on Thursday accused the State Minister for Public Health Engineering, Chaudhary Chandrabhan Singh, of acquiring property disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Ms. Jamuna Devi and Mr. Katare made this allegation at a Press conference here in the State Capital on Thursday.

Mr. Katare also released copies of documents (41 pages) that have been forwarded by him to the Chief Minister seeking a probe into assets acquired by the Minister after the last Assembly election.

Mr. Katare alleged that 12.5 acre land purchased by Mr. Chaudhary at Partala village in Chhindwara district has been registered by showing its value as Rs. 32 lakh.

This land was actually worth Rs. 1.5 crore, he pointed out, alleging that the Minister has caused loss to the State exchequer by grossly undervaluing the land.

He further alleged that half-acre of land that has already been diverted was sold off to show income for purchasing the Partala land by Mr. Chaudhary.

This “benami land” was sold to relatives, he pointed out.

Another allegation against the Minister is that he had used his position as former State Minister for Agriculture to get a road constructed from Chhindwara up to his land on the outskirts of the city with Mandi funds. He also faces the charge that he got the land diversion cleared at the Government level to hike the value of land owned by him.

When contacted, Mr. Chaudhary refuted the allegations saying that the Congress party has decided to malign the image of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and Ministers by levelling false charges against them.

The Minister said he had sold a piece of land for Rs. 28 lakh and bought another for Rs. 32 lakh.

Regarding diversion, he said: “Let those from the Opposition, who are hurling charges at me, identify any alternative land that could have been considered for diversion”.

He said it is quite a dilemma, if he had not allowed the by pass road through his land, every one would have said that he was opposed to the development of that area.

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