Congress Raises Alleged Land Scam, Irregularities in Uttarakhand Before Governor

A 13-member delegation of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee met Governor Dhal Singh Bisen on Thursday, seeking his intervention in an alleged massive land scam and several other matters, including a purported multi-crore fraud involving a state minister.

The delegation, comprising Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal, Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya and former chief minister Harish Rawat, submitted a memorandum accusing the Pushkar Singh Dhami government of transferring valuable government land and heritage properties to private entities at throwaway prices.

The Congress leaders urged the Governor to intervene and ensure that such properties are returned to their original government departments. They also sought the cancellation of decisions taken unilaterally by the chief minister under a Cabinet resolution dated December 20, 2022.

Citing Articles 154 and 166 of the Constitution, the delegation argued that the Governor was the constitutional custodian of state assets and could summon files relating to decisions taken in his name.

The memorandum specifically sought the cancellation of the lease granted for George Everest Estate, alleging violations of rules, and demanded an independent investigation under High Court supervision.

The party also sought cancellation of three tenders issued by the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB) concerning Patwadangar, Alaknanda Hotel in Haridwar and the Rishikesh Inspection House.

Other demands included compliance with court orders in the disproportionate assets case involving Minister Ganesh Joshi, an investigation into alleged irregularities in Cooperative Department appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic and a probe into MBBS admissions allegedly secured using forged documents.

Godiyal also raised allegations made by Minister Rekha Arya's husband, accusing her of involvement in a purported Rs 210-crore scam. He demanded a probe by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate.

The state government had not responded to the allegations at the time of the meeting.