Jagmohan asks CAG to probe murky deals

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 3.

In yet another move aimed at investigating ``murky deals of the land mafia'' in the Capital, the Union Urban Development Minister, Mr. Jagmohan, has asked the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. V. K. Shunglu, to hold a special investigation into payment of land acquisition compensation, running into several hundred crores in Delhi from the Revolving Fund of the Central Government.

In another step, which could prove to be a major setback to the Delhi Government's efforts to enhance land acquisition compensation rates, Mr. Jagmohan has ``questioned the authority'' of the Delhi Government to enhance the rates and has urged the Lt.Governor, Mr. Vijai Kapoor, to ensure that no such hike is effected except in accordance with the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jagmohan, in his letter to Mr. Shunglu, has pointed out that large amounts, have been disbursed over the years and some of the decisions taken appear to be of unusual nature. Keeping all this in mind, it would be quite appropriate to have a ``special audit'' of the accounts pertaining to the land acquisition, financed out of the Revolving Fund.

He has urged the CAG to depute a team for this purpose and pointed out that huge amounts were being disbursed as compensation for the lands that are being acquired under the scheme of ``large Scale Acquisition, Development and Disposal of Land in Delhi''. The compensation was paid out of the Revolving Fund which was set up by the Central Government to finance the aforesaid scheme. The procedure prescribed was that, after the acquisition of land, it was to be disposed of either in raw or developed form, and the receipts ploughed back to the Revolving Fund.

Mr. Jagmohan said the Delhi Government had been taking decisions on considerations which could not be justified. In fact, he had written to the Lt.Governor, on April 9, but a reply was still awaited. This despite a reminder sent on June 22 for a detailed reply. It is no secret that Mr. Jagmohan and Mr. Kapoor do not see eye to eye and have been crossing each other's path on various occasions in relation to DDA and other matters.

In his letter, the Union Urban Development Minister has pointed out that the land acquired in Delhi under the Scheme of Large Scale Acquisition, Development and Disposal of Land are held in the name of the President. They are merely placed at the disposal of the DDA for use and development in accordance with the provisions of the aforesaid scheme. Any extra money paid for acquisition would have serious repercussions on the working of the scheme. ``It has been complained that a sizable portion of the land has been acquired and paid for, but possession not taken,'' the letter states.

In fact, all these developments and the stand of Mr. Jagmohan could put a spanner in the plans of the Delhi Government to honour the commitment in this regard made by the Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, before the party president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, on February 25 at a Farmers Rally. It would be interesting to watch how the Lieutenant-Governor and the Delhi Government react to Mr. Jagmohan's assertions.

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