THE SUPREME Court has issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and Ghaziabad Development Authority on a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the allotment of prime residential plots to 156 MLAs in Ghaziabad, allegedly in a clandestine manner and in violation of norms.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, issued the notices on the petition filed by Kamal Kant Tripathi and Hitesh Kumar, after their counsel Prashant Bhushan requested the court to quash the allotments made to the MLAs.
The petitioners, residents of Vaishali, Ghaziabad, also requested the court to restrain the GDA and Uttar Pradesh government from handing over the possession of the allotted land to the MLAs in August last. They alleged that the MLAs were allotted plots of 200-sq meter on "sector rate" which was much lower than the prevailing "market rate" resulting into their becoming owners of property worth millions of rupees. They pointed out that the land earmarked for allotment to the public under various housing schemes like Bapudham, Madhuban, Indirapuram Prime and Indirapuram Extension were cancelled on flimsy pretext and were allotted to the MLAs.
Terming it as arbitrary and contrary to public interest, the petitioners said it violated their fundamental right to equality. They pleaded for restoration of the said schemes for the benefit of the common man.
{{/usCountry}}Terming it as arbitrary and contrary to public interest, the petitioners said it violated their fundamental right to equality. They pleaded for restoration of the said schemes for the benefit of the common man.
{{/usCountry}}Alleging that there was a nexus between GDA officials and builders, the petitioners sought a CBI probe into the allotments and missing records. They also sought framing of guidelines to fix personal responsibility of GDA officers in the matter and a direction to produce the list of all the unauthorized colonies and buildings in Ghaziabad.