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Congress sees red in border land deal

Special Correspondent

Alleges purchase of thousands of bighas in the border districts by a Delhi-based company

“Plots acquired by the company are near the Zero Line on the border in Barmer”
“Matter involves security of the country and needs to be probed”

JAIPUR: Congress general secretary and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has demanded an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into purchase of thousands of bighas of land in the border districts of the State by a Delhi-based company. The sale and purchase of land along the international border should be probed by an independent agency as the matter involves the security of the country, he said.

Mr. Gehlot, who alleged insensitivity on the part of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government in the State towards the potential danger in the sale of large tracts of desert and barren land in seven districts of western Rajasthan, noted that the son of a BJP leader was involved in the transactions. “We cannot expect a fair enquiry by the State agencies,” he said.

“The Government has so far shown no seriousness in probing the matter. Coming in the wake of reports of issuing of large number of illegal arms licences from Sriganganagar, also a border district, the development looks worrisome,” Mr. Gehlot said.

He suggested that the CBI enquire into both the matters so that doubts do not persist.

Mr. Gehlot said the reports indicated transaction of 60,000 to 70,000 bighas of land mostly in the districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Sriganganagar.

The plots acquired by the company were near the Zero Line on the border in Barmer while in Bikaner’s Kajuwala and Pugal areas they were at a distance of barely 50 to 60 km from the international border.

The process of land acquisition had started back in March 2006.

Reports said a Delhi-based company, PACL, in a period of one-and-a-half years carried out as many as 323 registrations of land transferred to it in Baap and Sheo tehsils alone.

PACL reportedly deals in real estate, agriculture extension and insurance. The company took the help of Rajendra Singh, son of Shambu Singh, a BJP leader in Osian tehsil of Jodhpur district, for getting the transactions done and for registration.

Curiously enough, Shambhu Singh used to be a State-level functionary of Vasu Mitra Mandal, a fan club of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, created by the then BJP leader Chandraraj Singhvi. Now Vasu Mitra Mandal is defunct and Mr. Singhvi is out of the party. Shambu Singh was one of the aspirants for BJP ticket for the Osian Assembly seat.

Intelligence agencies investigating the matter found that the Delhi company paid the BJP leader’s son for his services.

The agreement reportedly entered into between the company and Rajendra Singh had been that he would be paid Rs.1,000 each for every bigha of land purchased from the area.

The police have served notice on the Delhi company and called Rajendra Singh for questioning.

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