Haryana Assembly Budget Session Dominated by Allegations of Massive Land Scam
The budget address by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in the Haryana assembly on Friday was unexpectedly overshadowed by explosive allegations of a land scam involving property valued at approximately Rs 300 crore in Rohtak. While most Congress legislators focused their criticism on infrastructure and development shortcomings, former minister and Rohtak MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra redirected attention to what he described as a serious financial scandal implicating government officials and local actors.
Congress MLA Details Complex Scam Involving Telecom Company Insolvency
Bharat Bhushan Batra presented a detailed account of the alleged scam, which centers around a telecom company that ceased operations during the 2019-20 period. At the time of its closure, the company reportedly owed Rs 96 crore in debts, with Rs 86.6 crore of that amount being dues to various Haryana government departments. The company subsequently initiated insolvency proceedings through the National Company Law Tribunal to recover Rs 8 crore.
The most controversial aspect emerged on April 12, 2023, when approval was granted under a resolution plan to acquire the company for merely Rs 25.14 crore. When payment wasn't made within the stipulated timeframe, a performance guarantee of Rs 4 crore was forfeited, after which another entity submitted a demand draft for Rs 21.14 crore.
Massive Discrepancy Between Property Value and Sale Price
Batra highlighted what he called the central question of the scandal: "How could property with a collector rate of approximately Rs 75 crore, valued at more than Rs 200 crore before the NCLT, and estimated at around Rs 300 crore in the local market, be transferred for a mere Rs 25.14 crore?" He emphasized that this matter extended far beyond a simple company bankruptcy, raising serious concerns about state government involvement, administrative accountability, potential revenue losses, benami transactions, and political patronage.
The opposition legislators also criticized the waiver of penal interest and what they characterized as the government's silence on the entire issue. They demanded a comprehensive high-level investigation, a forensic audit, and an immediate ban on developing colonies and selling plots without proper licensing.
BJP MLAs Defend Budget While Opposition Raises Broader Concerns
During the budget discussion, BJP MLAs vigorously defended the government's financial plan. Samalkha MLA Manmohan Badhana praised the 76-page budget speech, noting that "Kirat Kar Naam Jap Vand Chhak" served as its foundational principle and asserting that the BJP government was working with honesty and integrity.
BJP MLA from Rai, Krishna Gehlawat, described the budget as pro-public, highlighting that through the VBG-RAM-G scheme, work guarantees had increased from 100 to 125 days. Another BJP legislator, Vinod Bhyana, stated that the government remained committed to fulfilling promises outlined in their Sankalp Patra.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Singh Dhanda criticized the opposition's approach, suggesting they weren't serious about budget discussions. He pointed to low attendance among opposition members and noted that while a calling attention motion had been brought regarding sugarcane farmers, the opposition had failed to provide any substantive suggestions on the subject.
Congress Counters with Criticism of Agricultural Neglect and State Debt
Congress MLA Chandraprakash countered the government's claims by asserting that the budget contained no meaningful provisions for farmers. He stated, "Farmers do not receive adequate fertilisers and seeds, and they fail to obtain Minimum Support Prices in the mandis." Chandraprakash also criticized the state's escalating debt burden, which he reported had now reached Rs 5.56 lakh crore.
The budget session thus evolved into a contentious exchange between government defenders and opposition critics, with the alleged Rs 300 crore land scam emerging as the most dramatic point of contention, potentially overshadowing the government's budgetary announcements and raising fundamental questions about governance and accountability in Haryana.
