Cong leaders hold joint Press Conference in Doon
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 26 Oct: Congress state president Karan Mahara held a press conference at Congress Bhawan here today, during which, he criticised the BJP and Dhami government on various issues, including leasing out land around George Everest Estate in Mussoorie without proper tendering.
Apart from Congress state president Karan Mahara, Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Bhuvan Kapri, former state president Ganesh Godiyal, former minister Harak Singh Rawat, and former MLA Kedarnath Manoj Rawat were also present at the press conference. The press conference was mainly addressed by former MLA Kedarnath Manoj who not only raised questions about the government regarding the land laws, but also accused it of tampering with government land.
Manoj Rawat claimed that very important agitations related to land law are taking place in Uttarakhand, with thousands of people joining these movements. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had recently announced in Agastyamuni that his government would soon bring a comprehensive land law. Even before this, CM Dhami had formed a high-powered committee regarding strict land law, but in reality, nothing has happened on ground as yet. He also claimed that after 2018, the BJP governments has made changes in some sections of Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act 1950), resulting in the sale of valuable lands in the state at throwaway prices.
Rawat claimed that at the time of the state’s formation, Uttarakhand’s ‘Park Estate’ (area around George Everest Estate) had 422 acres of land in the Mussoorie’s Hathipaon area. This included 172 acres of land acquired by the Tourism Department of the then UP government between 1990 and 1992 for tourism development from MC Shah’s family, CP Sharma, and Advocate Puran Singh, father of actress Archana Puran Singh. He alleged that the CEO of Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council gave 142 acres of land out of the 172 acres acquired to Aero Sports and Adventure Private Limited company for 15 years at a rent of merely Rs 1 crore per year. However, the circle rate of this land is around 2,757 crore, which the government rented for 15 years at a rate of one crore rupees per year. He added that this land had been rented out in December 2022.
Rawat alleged that before renting this land, the Tourism Department had developed it by taking a loan of Rs 23 crore from the Asian Development Bank. The Tourism Department spent an amount of Rs 23 crores to improve the land and once the land was developed, it quietly rented out the Estate land worth billions of rupees for 15 years for a low amount of just Rs 15 crores at the rate of Rs 1 crore per annum. The former MLA questioned the government’s ‘development model’ also. He also mentioned that last year, the government tried to allow Aero Sports and Adventure Private Limited to fly a helicopter alone for Kedarnath but changed the idea after protests. Rawat alleged that after Mussoorie, the government’s focus is now on the land of Chopta, known as Switzerland in Rudraprayag district, which is why local unemployed youths are being evicted.
Manoj Rawat criticized the government by presenting figures on the issue of land law. He raised questions about giving the land of Mussoorie’s tourist place George Everest Estate to a company on concessional rent against the rules. He also criticized the Tourism Department officials for the shortcomings in the tender process and the revenue loss to the government. He also alleged that all the three companies participating in the tender for this project have their address as Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. He added that two of the three companies have nothing to do with adventure tourism. The first company is Prakriti Organics Private Limited, the second is Bharua Agri Science Private Limited, and the third company that won the tender is Rajas Aero Sports and Adventure Private Limited. The registered addresses of the first two companies are associated with Swami Ramdev’s institutes and undertakings.
