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| Govt to 'gift' prime land to SDA employees for peanuts today! | | Loot Hai? | | Srinagar to be made more flood-prone to 'please politicians'
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 14: In a shocking development, the government is all set to "gift" prime land worth crores of rupees to the employees of the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) for peanuts in a bid to "please to some of the union leaders and others who played a role in the previous Assembly elections."
Official documents, a copy which lies with Early Times reveal that the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, who is also the Housing Minister is scheduled to chair the SDA annual meeting at SKICC here on December 15 where allotment of land to SDA employees has been kept at agenda No 75.22.
The government is "all set to gift around 160 kanals of land at peanuts which will means loss in crores to the state exchequer."
Officials said since 1989 there has been an "illegal convention" in SDA that it gives away part of its land resources at prime location to employees for "meager prices and in easy installments."
This time the government plans to give away land to SDA employees at Qamarwari. "While one kanal land will be given to employees for Rs 29 lakhs, the actual land price in the area is Rs two crores per kanal. This too is being given in easy installments which can be cleared in 48 months," the sources said.
Official documents reveal that this "illegal process" started in 1989 when SDA employees were allotted land for Rs 13.5 per square feet. In 2006, the employees were again given land at prime locations for Rs 255 per sft.
Officials said this time the government has planned to allot the land at Rs 550 per sft, whereas the real market price in the area is Rs 3000 per sft.
Sources said after bagging the land the employees often end up selling the land at market prices thereby bagging millions in the deal. "Without resorting to any corruption you earn millions every time you get land from government as SDA employee. To make fortune, all what you need to do is to subsequently sell this land at market price," explained a senior official previously posted in SDA.
He said it was bad precedence, having no logic. "If SDA employees get land, than SMC and JMC employees should get shops from SMC and JMC owned complexes while employees of Gulmarg Development Authority should get land for hotels. This is ridiculous," the officials said. "Is this Srinagar Development Authority or employees development authority?"
Sources said some ministers have been lobbying in the corridors of power to get the land allotted to the SDA employees as they were "promised so ahead of elections."
Not only this, there's another alleged fraud in the agenda of meeting. Agenda No 75.03 has been shown as "development of Satellite township at Rakh-e-Gund Aksha."
"Rakh-e-Gundaksha is a flood basin in Bemina locality and its land filling will make Srinagar more flood prone. This was proved in 2014 floods. Though expert have already raised eyebrows over this project and a rights group has made it clear that it will move High Court in case of any such development, a senior official in the SDA to please a politician, has ignored all safety concerns," said a source privy to the development. "Moreover unless Master Plan revamp is completed, such a decision cannot be taken," the officials acknowledged.
Sources said the Deputy Chief Minister would be given an impression that all the agendas are well articulated. "But actually in the name of the AGM, some of the SDA officials want to please their hidden masters," said a source.
Despite repeated attempts the SDA VC couldn't be contacted for comments. |
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