Himachal Speaker sets up joint House panel on apartment Act

The seven-member committee constituted by the Speaker Tulsi Ram has four BJP MLAs — Suresh Bhardwaj,Randhir Sharma,BK Chauhan and Vipin Parmar,and the two Congress MLAs are Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Nikhil Rajor with one Independent member Rakesh Pathania.

But before the committee actually meets,Congress MLA and member of the panel Sukhwinder Sukhu has raised his serious reservations against its composition,which he says has five BJP MLAs (four plus one Independent also backing BJP). “This committee has no meaning. The Congress,which raised the issue of irregularities with proofs has only two MLAs,” he says.

Vidya Stokes,who is Congress Legislature Party leader,said “It would have been better if I was consulted before announcing the committee.” Yet,she said “Our MLAs are competent,even if only two have been named”.

When contacted Secretary Vidhan Sabha Govardhan Singh termed Sukhu’s objection as “misplaced”. Every House committee is formed on the basis of parties’ proportional representation in the House. The BJP has more than double the strength of the Congress. One Independent is also taken in. “The committee’s report has to go to the House if it recommends amendments in the Act. Then the party can participate in the House discussion,” he said.

The committee has been set up at the instance of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal,who had been under Opposition attack for allowing mega builders to buy land within protected forest areas of Shimla and Solan to build super-quality flats in violation of the norms.

Dhumal,instead,had accused the earlier Congress government of passing the Act during its tenure and thus opening doors to people to buy vast patches of land in Himachal Pradesh.

He announced a probe by the House panel look into all cases of permissions granted under the Act,both during the Congress regime and also later by the BJP government. “If needed,or recommended by the House panel,the government will order a judicial inquiry,” said the chief minister.

The issue of irregularities in grant of such permissions was raised by Congress legislator Mukesh Agnihotri who named three colonisers,namely Bamloe Builders,MJH Infrastructures,Optima Constructions and HMR Developers to allege a scam in the grant of Essentiality certificates (ECs).