Ahmedabad, 1 September, 2011

Today’s Indian Express report reveals that Gujarat Governor Dr. Kamla Beniwal was accused of illegal allotment of plots in early 1990s by Rajasthan’s then Lokayukta when Beniwal was minister in Rajasthan.

Indian Express report quotes July 12, 2011 Supreme Court ruling in which a Bench of Justices G S Singhvi and Ashok Ganguly cited a report by the Rajasthan Lokayukta in 1992 regarding a matter of illegal allotment of plots in the Lal Kothi Scheme in Jaipur. As per this citation, the Lokayukta report had stated: “It is prima facie established that Smt Kamala, the then Hon’ble Minister, Urban Development and Housing Department, Government of Rajasthan-cum-Chairman, JDA Jaipur… misused their official position to favour a few influential and highly placed individuals and have also thereby caused wrongful gain to them and loss to the Jaipur Development Authority and the public at large. But Smt Kamala… is not now a public servant as defined in Section 2(1) of the Rajasthan Lokayukta and Up-Lokayukta Act, 1973, because she has ceased to be a Minister. So investigation is not being commenced against her….”

Full report can be reached through this link

18-7-2011 DNA Jaipur reports

Lokayukta in his inquiry report dated 12.11.1992: “It is prima facie established that Smt. Kamala, the then minister, Urban development and housing department, Rajasthan-cum-Chairman, JDA Jaipur, MD Kaurani, the then Commissioner, JDA and Subhebhan Mitra, the then Zonal Officer, Lal Kothi Scheme, JDA have blatantly misused their official position to favour a few influential and highly placed individuals and have also thereby caused wrongful gain to them and wrongful loss to the Jaipur Development Authority and the public at large.”

Supreme Court said in this case (Secretary of JDA vs Daulat Mal Jain and others) on 20 September, 1996: “The facts of these cases expose the blatant misuses of public office by minister of Urban development, Rajasthan(Kamala Beniwal) as Chairman of the appellant authority;they, in particular demonstrate the danger involved in enstrusting unbridled dual powers in a single individual leading to abuse of office on account of lack of counter check.”