Kaul Singh pushes ball in Dhumal’s court

Shimla, May 20
Taking a different stand from Union Minister Virbhadra Singh’s on the government’s move to institute a judicial inquiry into essentiality certificates, PCC chief Kaul Singh today demanded that the scope of probe should be widened by including the terms of reference of all permissions granted under Section 118 to outsiders for purchase of land, particularly private universities, and making the exercise time-bound.
In what appears to be a move to land the Dhumal government in its own trap, he welcomed the probe and asserted that all land deals, benami or otherwise, and related issues and allegations should be brought within the ambit of the proposed probe. He also demanded that the inquiry should also go into the very fact whether or not so many private universities were required in a small state.
He said there was no need for setting up private universities as they would not be able to utilise the huge chunk of land for the purpose they got the permission.
Unlike Virbhadra Singh, who termed the move to institute an inquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court a dilatory tactic, Kaul Singh said the judge should be given only two or three months to complete the inquiry.
Moreover, the Chief Minister had announced in the House that the State Apartment and Properties (Regulation) Act would be scrapped and as such there was no need to include this in the inquiry, unless the government wanted to take time to oblige some more realtors.
He also said under the State Land Reforms and Tenancy Act, there was a provision that the land acquired after seeking permission under Section 118 would be vested in the government if it was not utilised for the purpose within two years.
He declared that on coming to power, the Congress review all permissions granted under Section 118 and cancel all wrong and unjustified permissions.