Agencies
AMETHI, AUGUST 23
Three days after Rahul Gandhi gave a call for the return of “Kurta-pyjama sarkar” instead of “suit-boot ki sarkar”, his political rival in Amethi’s Lok Sabha election 2014 and Union HRD minister Smriti Irani accused Congress first family of being involved in a Rs 65-crore Amethi land scam. To prove her point, Irani even waved the auction registered deed before a gathering mainly comprising women, who had made a beeline at a spice factory as BJP workers on Irani’s call had planned to cover 25,000 women under Pradhan Mantri Beema Suraksha Yojna. This was second such programme as Irani in her earlier visit had covered 25,000 people of the constituency with various schemes including Pradhan Mantri Jandhan Yojna. She announced her next visit either in September or October to cover small traders through Mudra bank loan scheme.
“I know media has come not to cover this event but in anticipation of Irani’s reply to Rahul Gandhi’s recent jibe on Modi government,” the minister said. He talked about kurta-pyjama sarkar but BJP workers are not in a habit making indescent comments, the Union Minister said and made her bid to corner Congress by raking up Amethi land scam. Has anyone heard about Samrat Bicycle, Irani asked the crowd?
During 80s, around 65-acre land was acquired from the poor farmers in Amethi and was given to Samrat Bicycle Private Limited with claims that it would give employment to the people of the constituency. “At that time Modi ji was not the prime minister. I would have been hardly 13 or 14 years old,” Irani said and added but the company never started functioning.
“I was told by party workers that nobody has the courage in Amethi to ask about the land,” Irani said and added: “I will tell you that the company’s land has been purchased by Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust through auction sale deed on February 24, 2015.” Irani had Uma Shanker Pandey by her side, who had made a complaint with Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC), asking the corporation to file objection on the auction. On the directive of Irani, Pandey told the gathering that UPSIDC has filed an objection asking authorities to stop ownership transfer to the trust.
A copy of the UPSIDC letter written by regional manager to DM Amethi which is with TOI stated that Samrat Bicycle Private Ltd was given the 65.57 acre land on lease of 90 years (as per UPSIDC tradition) on August 8, 1986. However, Samrat Bi-cycle Pvt Ltd got the lease converted into ownership by changing the land records fraudulently. A request to correct the land records in the name of UPSIDC is pending with SDM, Gauriganj for the past several months, the letter further stated. However, Samrat Bicycle after the closure through divisional revenue tribunal (DRT), New Delhi got the land auctioned. Even though, the UPSIDC has not mentioned the name of the trust, it has urged the district magistrate to ensure that the land is not transferred in the name of the purchaser.
Auction sale deed, the copy of which is also with TOI, mentions Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust as the purchaser of the land, Pandey said.
Irani during her address exhorted the party workers to inform the people of the Amethi what has happened to the land and who purchased it. They should tell the people how the land of poor farmers was given away to Congress, Irani said and added how can they accuse Modi government of working agianst the interest of the farmers.
Even though BJP workers managed to ensure Rahul Gandhi’s margin of victory reduced by 80 per cent, the struggle of the BJP workers would end only when the mirage created by the Congress in the past 60 years vanishes completely, Irani said.
At least three generation of Gandhi family had promised a railway line between Amethi and Uncchehaar, Irani said and added Indira Gandhi has promised to do the needful, Rajiv Gandhi also made a promise and at times Rahul also talked about it in his speeches. However, the budget for railway line has been sanctioned only during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime.
She also said that an agriculture research centre and soil testing centre have also been planned besides, work has begun on Banda, Ambedkarnagar, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur Highway.
After 25,000 women being covered through Pradhan Mantri Beema Suraksha Yojna until today as per the call given by PM Modi in his Mann ki baat programme, Irani said that either in September or October, she would again visit Amethi this time with a programme on providing benefits through Mudra bank to the people of Amethi.
