Dhingra Commission Report To Be Made Public In Next Session: Haryana Chief Minister

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said that the report of Justice S N Dhingra Commission, set up to probe the grant of licences for change in land use (CLU) in Gurgaon, including to a Robert Vadra-owned firm, will be made public in the next Assembly session.

"The report will be made public in next Assembly session," Mr Khattar said.

The Chief Minister said that the report has mentioned certain issues which require further investigation.

"Therefore, the government is considering to chose a suitable agency for the same," he said.

Notably, the Dhingra Commmission had submitted its 182-page report to Chief Minister Khattar in Chandigarh on August 31 on the last day of the tenure of the Commission.

Advertisement

Earlier, BJP-led Haryana government, on June 30, had extended the term of the single-member commission by two months till August 31, 2016 after Justice Dhingra, a retired judge of Delhi High Court had sought six weeks more time to submit its report.

The Khattar government had in December last year also extended the commission's term for a period of six months and later its term had been further extended.

Advertisement

The commission was set up on May 14, last year, to probe the issues concerning the grant of license(s) for developing commercial colonies by the Department of Town and Country Planning to some entities in Sector 83, Gurgaon including mutation of land deal between a firm M/S Skylight Hospitality, owned by Robert Vadra, and realty major DLF.

The Rs 58-crore deal related to 3.5 acre land in Gurgaon's Shikohpur village was sold by Vadra to DLF.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Mr Khattar today also said that it was on November 1, 2016 that the present state government restored the power of the Director, Town and Country Planning to issue Change of Land Use (CLU) and licences, whereas earlier these powers used to be with the Chief Minister.

This, he said, was one of the recommendations of the Dhingra Commission.

Advertisement

He reminded that all the Chief Ministers, who ruled the State after 1991, retained these powers with themselves. In reply to a question concerning the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, the Chief Minister said that the Supreme Court would now take up the case on Monday.

"After a recent all-party meeting, a written request was made to the President of India to seek an appointment with him on this issue and whenever he would give the appointment, a delegation of all political parties would meet him," Mr Khattar said.

Advertisement

When his attention was drawn that tension could build up if the farmers in Punjab could start levelling the land for filling up of the SYL canal in Punjab territory, Mr Khattar said that even earlier similar act was committed and at that time the Supreme Court had appointed the Punjab Chief Secretary and Director General of Police as receivers.

In reply to a question whether there was any proposal of the Haryana government to give salary to its employees in cash in view of demonetisation of old currency notes of higher denomination, Mr Khattar said that the issue was under consideration and the employees may get a part of their salary in cash.