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An embarrassment to Govt.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG.17. Even as the BJP-led NDA Government is seeking to defend the large number of allotments of prime land in prestigious areas to institutions having clear links with party leaders and various organs of the Sangh Parivar, more revelations about these allotments have compounded matters and are causing embarrassment to the Government.

Addressing the one-day meeting of the Delhi unit of the party, the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, was forced to step in, as the claims made by the Union Urban Development Minister, Ananth Kumar, the Union Culture and Tourism Minister, Jagmohan, and the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Vijay Kapoor, did not have much of an impact with the impression persisting that these organisations had been favoured by the Central Government or the Delhi Development Authority.

Mr. Kumar, Mr. Jagmohan and Mr. Kapoor maintained that these allotments were made on merits and according to well-established norms and procedures approved by the Cabinet. Such allotments had been ``made by the previous Governments too''. If specific cases of malafide allotment were brought to the notice of the Government, they would be looked into.

In fact, Mr. Kumar had the list of the social, cultural, educational and other organisations included in the website of his Ministry and claimed total transparency while refuting that these allotments were made out of the way.

There are no takers for the claim that as high as nearly 20 per cent of the allotments made in favour of these organisations is a coincidence. The large number of allotments looks abnormal.

Questions are also being raised over the speed with which the requests for these allotments have been made at reserved prices applicable in case of institutional allotments, although the market price of the land in these prime areas is said to be much higher. Was the seniority rule followed? Have these organisations been given land ignoring the claims of other eligible bodies which had approached the Government for such allotments after complying with all the requirements and conditions?

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