SHIMLA: While trouble over new legislation to ban all sorts of land transactions by no agriculturists in Himachal Pradesh without Government’s prior permission is brewing a new controversy has started over granting permission to some outsiders to purchase land.
The permission granted to the Punjab Director General of Police, K. P.S. Gill, to purchase 13.4 big has of land at Rameshar village in Solan district, bordering Punjab and Haryana, has raised many an eyebrow, The haste shown by the previous BJP Government and also the Governor’s regime to grant permission for purchasing and in relaxation of the rules has also put a big question mark on double standards being adopted by the government.
Gill, however, was not available for comments. Interestingly, the land which was allowed to be purchased from three different parties was much beyond the scale permissible for construction of a house, The permission Was sought by Gill in two installments first to construct a residential house and a kitchen garden. In the second case, Gill again applied during the President’s rule to purchase the Jand for his security and other related purposes.
‘The case which was approved by the then Chief Minister and the Revenue was disposed of within two months, The government in other cases had been taking five to six months for such transfers.
However, the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act strictly prohibits the Government for giving permission beyond the Specified scale of land.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 14, 1994
