Shimla, Aug 27 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday countered questions raised by the BJP in the Legislative Assembly over the acquisition of his family’s ancestral land in Rakkar-Paragpur, Kangra.
His statement came amid questions surrounding land acquired by the Jal Shakti Department for the construction of water tanks during the previous BJP government. BJP’s Ashish Sharma raised the question of land acquisition, and Bikram Thakur raised a supplementary question.
In response, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said this question had previously been raised in the House. He explained that the land in question had been purchased from four individuals and that the matter had even reached the High Court.
Defending the circumstances of the acquisition, Sukhu disclosed that his family-owned land was acquired at what he described as a substantially lower price than its prevailing market value, while stressing that the acquisition followed the land acquisition committee’s recommendations.
He said while a stone crusher could have been set up on this land, mining is prohibited within a 500-meter radius of such tanks. He said his elder brother initially wanted to keep the land, but he persuaded him to hand it over to the government.
He also questioned the motive behind repeatedly raising the issue, pointing out that the Enforcement Directorate had already investigated the matter.
The chief minister said the market value of land in Rakkar-Paragpur is Rs 50 lakh per kanal. Regarding the specific plot belonging to his family where the tank was built, he mentioned that the government acquired 10 kanals for Rs 18 lakh, a significantly low price, and that this payment was made during the tenure of the previous BJP government.
One kanal is 505.85 square metres. Land is measured in biswa, bigha, kanal, hectare and acres in Himachal Pradesh. PTI BPL ASD ASD
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