Bhupinder Singh Hooda himself approved land for Associated Journals Ltd: Anil Vij

Chandigarh: Senior Haryana Minister Anil Vij on Thursday again trained guns on the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress regime, alleging that the former chief
minister had gone out of the way to clear over 3,000 sq.m. land in Panchkula to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) 10 years ago.

"Ex CM Haryana B S Hooda was so eager to oblige Gandhi Parivar in National Herald case that he himself signed the the illegal order," Vij tweeted.

In more tweets, he alleged that rules had been flouted by the former chief minister "despite negative noting on the file" by concerned officers.

"Flouting all rules despite negative noting on the file by all concerned officers in sanctioning 3,300 sq mtr land...In meager Rs 91 per mtr to National Herald in Prime Sector of Panchkula. As per practice mostly PA signs all files on behalf of CM," Vij wrote.

Interacting with reporters here after the tweets, Vij alleged that "Hooda was in a hurry to oblige his political masters. He even did not care about the legal advice given to
him at that time which was against making this allotment. If land was to be allotted, advertisements should have been placed and proper procedure should have been followed."

"It is also rare that the then Chief Minister himself signed the file," Vij claimed.

Vij, while referring to the allotment made 10 years back, had a few days back alleged that "this is the property of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) now which was given this prime plot in upscale Sector 6 of Panchkula by the previous Hooda government, just six months after it came to power in Haryana in 2005."

Vij had alleged that "it is a serious issue which has come to fore, which shows how rules were bent/ignored by the previous Hooda government, which gave 3,360 square metres of prime plot in Panchkula at throwaway prices".

Vij, the five-time BJP MLA from Ambala Cantt, had also said that on August 14, 2014, two months before the Haryana Assembly polls, an Occupation Certificate (OC) was issued for the four-storey building on the plot.

Asked that about reports saying AJL plot was categorised as "government office" and HUDA records showing that it valued the property at Rs 59.3 lakh when it was allotted, Vij said, when Herald case is before courts, "we hope all these facts which have come to light now would be taken cognisance of".