SIT finds irregularities in UPSIDC operations; report in 2 days

Lucknow, Aug 24(UNI) The Special Investigation Team(SIT), a high-level investigating agency constituted recently by the Uttar Pradesh government, has found prima facie irregularities by the officials of the UP State Industrial Development Corporation(UPSIDC) in a scam to the tune of over crore of rupees.

The SIT, who were handed the case by the government, has submitted their inquiry report which will be made officials within a day or two.

According to sources, the SIT in its inquiry report has said that several irregularities were detected and scam to the tune of over crores of rupees in the allotment of plots in the Tronica City project of the UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC).

'' After the government approves the inquiry report, SIT will start the full fledge investigation into the case after registering criminal cases'', source said.

Meanwhile, the government will set up a dedicated police station under the SIT which will cover the entire state.

Earlier, the Mayawati government had suspended four senior officers of the UPSIDC on being found prima facie guilty for the scam.

The investigation will also probe into the allotment of industrial plots in Bagpat, Surajpur, Meerut and Sakandrabad.

UPSIDC Managing director Balwinder Kumar said the allotment of plots had been made to certain persons having links with an influential lobby at throwaway prices against all rules and norms while ignoring the prevalent market rate.

The UPSIDC had suffered a loss of about Rs 100 crore, Mr Kumar said.

The UPSIDC managing director appeared to have handed over all authority to Arun Mishra between August 2006 and March this year.

The latter had invited bids by getting advertisements published in two newspapers of Faridabad and Delhi with very limited circulation.

A committee set up under a chief manager had fixed a reserve rate of Rs 2700 per sq m for group housing and Rs 4000 per sq m for commercial plots.The chief engineer, keeping this as the guideline, had allegedly allotted 96,600 sq mt for group housing and 76,640 for commercial sectors to certain favourite bidders in Tronica City.

The MD said had this land been sold as per the rates of the Ghaziabad Development Authority the amount received would have been Rs 300 crore.

Similarly, the difference would have been above Rs 400 crore had it been allotted as per the rates quoted by Tronica City Manufacturers Association.

He said the members and the chairman of the committee which had fixed the reserve price had been placed under suspension.

The managing director said the same land would have sold at Rs15,515 per sq m in Greater Noida and in Noida the rates would have varied between Rs 17,000 and Rs 30,000 per sq m.

UNI