New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel has made a
strong case for "an independent regulator" for Defence estates
in the wake of the Sukhna land scam which, it said, has
affected Army's image.
But the Defence Ministry is opposed to having such a
mechanism.
It has conveyed to the Parliamentary Committee on Defence
that there was no need for a separate regulator on the ground
that the existing system within the ministry was adequate.
The Sukhna land scam involved four Army Generals
including Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, ex-military secretary to the
former Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor.
"The committee is of the strong view that land scams such
as Sukhna land scam affect the image of Army and the defence
services as a whole and as such it is utmost necessary that
the country should have the fool-proof system to regulate the
defence estates," the Committee said in its latest report
tabled in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Referring to the Defence Ministry's view that there was
no need for a separate regulator, the committee said, "Inspite
of internal mechanism to regulate defence estates, such
(Sukhna land scam) incidents are happening."
Despite the reluctance by the Defence ministry, the
committee, headed by Congress member Satpal Maharaj,
recommended that "their suggestion of having an independent
regulator should be considered by the (Defence) Ministry
positively" and it be apprised accordingly about the
action taken in this regard.
The committee was referring to the recent controversies
regarding the use of defence land including the Sukhna land
scam, which involved issuance of a No Objection Certificate
(NOC) by the Army officers for setting up an educational
institution at the military base in Darjeeling district.
Other officers allegedly involved in the scam were Lt Gen
P K Rath, whose appointment as the Deputy Chief of the Army
was scrapped following the unearthing of the scam, 11 Corps
commander Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali and Major General P C Sen.
The Army has ordered disciplinary proceedings in the form
of court martial against Prakash and Rath, while the other
officers would face administrative action.
Prakash's plea -- first in the Armed Forces Tribunal and
later in the Supreme Court -- for scrapping of the court
martial proceedings on the ground that the inquiry into the
scam did not follow procedures was not accepted by the
tribunal or the apex court.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, April 15, 2010, 19:50