Prem Kumar Dhumal, Anurag Thakur caused Rs.100 crore loss to exchequer: Jairam Ramesh

5 Dariya News

New Delhi 02-Aug-2015

Accusing BJP leaders Prem Kumar Dhumal and his son Anurag Thakur of "misusing power and abusing authority" in Himachal, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday blamed the duo of causing Rs.100 crore loss to the exchequer.Ramesh told reporters here that when Dhumal, former Himachal chief minister, was in power in 2002, he allotted 16 acres of land in Dharamsala to Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), headed by his son. It was to build a stadium and the state government which should have annually earned Rs.94 lakh as rent for the land, got a mere Rs.12, he said."The cabinet headed by Dhumal approved the grant of land to HPCA for 99 years but changed the lease amount to a token rate of Re.1 per month. Dhumal and his son Thakur together have misused the public property and the office held by them," Ramesh said."The lease is for 99 years so, therefore, the government will bear the loss that will be around Rs.100 crore," he added.

"Blatant constitutional impropriety, patent conflict of interest, glaring misuse of office, usurpation of public property and duping of public exchequer is writ large in their case," Ramesh said.He said that since 2002, Dhumal and his son Thakur misused power "in the name of cricket in Himachal Pradesh"."They have grabbed the land illegally and it is a matter of conflict of interest," the Congress leader said, adding the stadium was also being used for commercial purposes in gross violation of the approval given by the state cabinet.Taking potshots at the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, he said: "BJP and its leaders have become habitual offenders in committing gross constitutional impropriety, misuse of office, conflict of interest and brazen conduct, which is the very anti-thesis of constitutional democracy."

Taking a jibe at Modi and other BJP senior leaders for "arrogant refusal" in affixing responsibility of union Minister Sushma Swaraj, and Chief Ministers Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ramesh said: "Will he (Modi) take action now?"Hitting back at the Congress, the BJP said the Congress was running out of issues."This matter is already in the court, no one from the Congress appears there (in court). They should if they are so serious about this," BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman said."The fact is that the congress just wants press coverage and is running out of issues," she added.