The Hindu : Jagmohan defends land allotments

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2002

National

National

Jagmohan defends land allotments

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Aug. 26. The Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Jagmohan, today once again defended the institutional land allotments made by the Urban Development Ministry to various organisations with links with Sangh Parivar or some important BJP functionaries, including Ministers.

Elaborating on what he had said at an earlier press conference, Mr. Jagmohan said: "Personal beliefs of a few individuals are neither asked for nor are relevant for allotment of land to registered societies whose cases have been recommended or sponsored by the Administrative Ministry or Department."

"The crux of the whole matter is that no allotment has been made to any institution which was not in accordance with the well-established principles, procedures and norms laid down by the Government of India years ago and the basis of which hundred of allotments have been previously made."

Spelling out the principles, he said the society had to be a registered one and its case should have been recommended by the Ministry or Department under whose purview its activities fell.

Then allotments are made on leasehold basis in the areas earmarked for institutional uses in the Delhi Master Plan and at rates specifically prescribed by the Cabinet decision.

Asserting that these allotments have been made for educational and other purposes in the same way as had been done in the past under the earlier regimes, Mr. Jagmohan said: "It passes my comprehension how any fault could be found with regard to allotment of land to registered education societies like the Samarth Shiksha Samiti, which is providing education to the weaker section on a substantial scale or the social welfare institution like the Sewa Bharati....''

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National