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‘Lalu, kin, associates cornered co-op land violating bye laws’
MLA Cooperative Society by laws say no member of the society is permitted to own more than one plot.
PATNA BJP senior leader, Sushil Kumar Modi, reopened his attack on RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his kin on Tuesday, charging them with acquiring immense property by underhand means.
Having put the RJD on the defensive over the last one month by ‘exposing’ properties of the family, which he claims to be under cover, Modi said, Lalu practically occupied five plots of the MLA’s cooperative society at Kautilya Nagar in the state capital in violation of the cooperative bye laws.
Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of his ‘janata durbar’ here, Modi claimed that in contravention of cooperative bye laws, Lalu acquired two plots in the society. “While plot no. 208 was allotted to him in 1992, Lalu got registered another plot no. 207 in his name in 2010. The plot was bought from one Badshah Azad,” he said.
Quoting relevant bye laws he said no member of the society was permitted to own more than one plot. “Apparently, using the power of Rabri Devi, who was then chief minister, Lalu got two plots,” he alleged.
He also wondered how Azad sold the said plot to Lalu at a paltry price of Rs 37,000 in 2010, which was the original cost of the plot in 1992.
“Besides, the then CM Rabri Devi got registered another adjacent plot no. 209 in her name — bought from senior RJD leader and current finance minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui in 2003 for Rs 37,000,” he said.
The BJP leader said a neighbouring plot no. 210, which was kept vacant for construction of a community hall, was later allotted to Lalu’s brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav in 2004. “Similarly, plot no. 211 was allotted to RJD leader and former Union minister Premchand Gupta in 2006,” Modi added.
“Thus for all practical purposes, all the five plots — nos. 207, 208, 209, 210 and 211 — are in possession of the Lalu family and associates,” claimed Modi.
“This is not all. Society chairman and former education minister Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav, who is close to Lalu Prasad, also possesses two plots. In addition to plot no. 222, he got another plot no. 223 registered in his name,” said Modi, adding Yadav did so by misusing his position as chairman of the society.
The BJP leader further said the state government had given 15 acres of khas mahal land to the MLA Cooperative Society in 1987 on lease for 30 years and it was meant only for residential purposes. “However, violating the lease conditions, Lalu Prasad and others put many a plot to commercial use,” he alleged.
He asked how the precious plots, which roughly cost Rs 20 lakh each in 2004-06 were sold to Lalu and his associates at the original price of Rs 37,000 each.
The former deputy chief minister said the Patna district magistrate had probed irregularities of the society and submitted a report to the Bihar government many months ago, but till date no action had been taken. “The lease of the land would expire on December 31, 2017, and now it is to be seen what action the state government takes,” he said.
Modi demanded immediate cancellation of the allotment of plots to those who have violated the bye laws, as also recovery of money from those who used their plots for commercial purposes. He also asked the government to make public the DM’s report and supersede the society at the earliest.
The BJP leader dared chief minister Nitish Kumar to take action, as the matter fell in the domain of the state government.
