2 MORE CASES TO BE REFERRED TO CBI BY GOVT

CM ML Khattar said the state government has decided to refer two cases of land acquisition irregularities — Rohtak’s Uddar Gagan case adjudicated by the Supreme Court in May 2016 and Sonepat land release case — to the CBI for a probe.

THE UDDAR GAGAN CASE

In the Uddar Gagan matter, around 850 acres of land was proposed to be acquired in 2002 for residential and commercial sectors in Rohtak by Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). However, award was passed for about 422 acres in April 2005. A realtor, Uddar Gagan Properties Limited, in March 2005 entered into collaboration agreements with some farmers whose land was under acquisition for development of a colony. The developer had applied for a licence to develop a colony on land covering about 280 acres. The licences were granted by the town and country planning director in June 2006 and corresponding land was released from acquisition. This was followed by execution of sale deeds in favour of the builder through power-of-attorney holder of the land owners. Upholding the land acquisition process, an SC bench of Justice Anil R Dave and Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel in its May 13, 2006 judgment ordered that land will vest in Huda free from all encumbrances. The SC ordered that all land-release orders in favour of the builder in respect of land covered were quashed.

THE SONEPAT LAND RELEASE CASE

The Congress government had in October 2005 started the process to acquire 885 acres land in Sonepat’s Nangal Kalan, Aterna and Sersa villages for the HSIIDC. Notification under Section 6 was issued for 824 acres. The award was announced for only 167 acres in October 2008 in scattered pockets. HTC