Drive against illegal land deals to continue: Himachal CM

Shimla, Nov 12: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday said his government's drive against the 'benami' or illegal land deals is on and action has been taken against many.

"We are determined to find out all the 'benami' land deals and to take action as per law," the chief minister told reporters here.

He said the result of the probes would be made public once they were completed.

Official sources said police have so far tightened its noose against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and former minister Rajeev Bindal, previous chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his son Anurag Thakur, who is an MP from Hamirpur and heading the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

On being asked about the investigation against Dhumal, the chief minister said that he doesn't have personal enmity against anyone.

"For the very purpose, the process of investigations against the Dhumals, which was moving at a slow pace, are now being speeded up directions have been issued to special investigation team to complete the investigation within three months," he added.

The Congress government last week ordered a vigilance probe into the charge that two-time chief minister Dhumal and his family amassed assets disproportionate to their known sources of income during his stints as chief minister.

"The investigations against the Dhumals would be as per the law," he said, adding nothing would be fabricated and the probe would be based on the facts.

However, the BJP is terming the government's actions politically motivated.

The chief minister has resorted to vendetta and witch-hunting instead of focussing on development, Dhumal said.

IANS