Cong asks Dhumal to drop Bindal

Pathania,who is a sitting MLA,said the Congress had geared up to launch a state-wide campaign — Mission Delete 2012 — against the BJP on issues of corruption,illegal land deals and nepotism. Beginning with the budget session of the Assembly on March 9,the Opposition would corner the government,both within the House and outside.

Backing Himachal Lokhit Party leader Mohinder Sofat on property details of Bindal that the former had released a few days ago,Pathania said “an immediate probe into assets of the minister,his family members and land transactions at Solan should be ordered. If the Chief Minister does not act now,the Congress on return to power will definitely refer the case to the CBI”.

The PCC spokesman said the Congress chargesheet to be handed over to President Pratibha Patil,listing all corruption details of Bindal,other Cabinet ministers and also family members of top BJP leaders,who were active in buying properties and favouring land diversions to outsiders,would be the most potent weapon of the Congress to deal with political corruption.

He said the BJP had created a history of bending laws to favour non-Himchalis to buy hundreds of bighas of prime agricultural land in Solan,Shimla,Kangra,Chamba and Kullu districts. The land use had been changed in dozens of cases at the intervention of the BJP leaders and government officers.

Pathania said the Congress was opposed to any change in the land ceiling law as such an amendment proposed by the government was to regularise huge tracks of land sold out to promoters of private universities,religious trusts and individual beneficiaries of real estate business. “We really wonder what has happened to the Chief Minister’s offer to repeal the Apartment Act as reports suggest that the government has cleared more apartment projects after the controversial Bamloie builder’s case near Shimla,” he said.