BJP defends decision over Deen Dayal Trust land allotment

Jaipur, Nov 4 (UNI) The BJP government has defended its decision to allot prime land at a concessional rate to the RSS controlled Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Trust here.

State Urban Development minister Pratap Singh Singhvi denied any violation of law as alleged by the Opposition Congress.

''The said the land allotment was made on the recommendations of the ministerial sub-committee comprising me, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, Health Minister Digamber Singh and Forest Minister Laxmi Narayan Dave, which recommended the allotment of land to the trust, ''he told UNI.

Refering to the allegations of former Congress Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot that the government had flouted rules by allotting prime land to the trust, Mr Singhvi said that the trust was working for the welfare of the poor and down-trodden, and ''there was provision for land allotments to such trusts.'' He said according to the recommendation of the ministerial sub- committee, the Congress Party also was allotted a plot for the construction of a party office in Udaipur.

Meanwhile, state BJP president and chairman of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Trust chairman Mahesh Sharma pleaded ignorance about the controversy, saying he was not aware of any such issue as he had been out of town.

Mr Gehlot had alleged that the allotment of 7693.40 sq metre of land at the Residency Scheme at Civil Lines at a concessional rate of Rs.562.50 per sq metre as against the JDA's recomended price of Rs 11,250 was a ''gross misuse of power'' by the Vasundhara Raje government.

''The allotment of land for party office and trust were different things. The rule permits allotment of land to political parties for construction of a party office,''he said, adding the JDA has flouted the rule that only organisations, which are of a minimum of three years old after registration and have audited annual accounts for the same period are eligible for allotment of land. The Deen Dayal Upadhayaya trust is not even registered, Mr Gehlot alleged.

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