Benami land purchases at Gaggal airport to be probed by SIT: Sukku

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday announced the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe into ‘benami’ (anonymous) land deals at Gaggal Airport in Kangra district and Gagret in Una district.

Responding to a query from the Congress MLA from the Gagret assembly seat, Rakesh Kalia, during Question Hour in the assembly, Sukhu said the government will investigate cases of anonymous land purchases and alleged commissions paid during the process at the two locations. He said if anyone has made ‘benami’ transactions, their land will be confiscated and no compensation will be provided.

If any such case comes to light during the investigation, strict action will be taken against those involved, he added. “The state government is taking strict action against corruption and will also take action against irregularities in the purchase and sale of land at Gaggal Airport and Gagret,” he asserted, adding that an outsider is permitted to purchase land in the state only under Section 118 of Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act. The chief minister asked the Congress legislator for Gagret to provide any documents he possesses regarding these matters to the SIT.

In response to the original query, Sukhu said over Rs 1,460 crore has been distributed to 4,649 people so far under the proposed land acquisition for the expansion of Gaggal Airport in Kangra. This amount has been transferred to affected people’s bank accounts as per the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act. In a supplementary question, Kalia made allegations against a former Uttarakhand government official, alleging that he was involved in an alleged attempt to overthrow the Himachal Pradesh government last year.

The MLA further alleged that the official was exploiting local people and “importing” the culture of Uttar Pradesh into the state.