Ahmedabad, 23 May 2012

While Gujarat Congress says Gujarat Governor Dr. Kamla Beniwal is honorable Gandhian, it seems, purely on the basis of facts, the Rajasthan government doesn’t believe so, and this has been reportedly conveyed to UPA chair person Sonia Gandhi.

A report published in Delhi based daily Pioneer says the Rajasthan Government has sent a report to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Gujarat Governor’s land grab scam and the report has confirmed charges of gross irregularity in the functioning of the Kissan Samuhik Krishi Sahkari Samiti Limited (KSKSSL) in which Kamla Devi is an executive committee member. The report sent by Gehlot to Sonia contains inputs provided by the Secretary of the department of Urban Development and Additional Registrar (cooperative societies), Jaipur.

Following uproar in the Rajya Sabha and demand by the BJP for recall of the Governor, the Congress leadership had sought a factual report on the controversy from Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Quoting the sources, Pioneer in its news report says that till late on May 19 evening officials of Chief Minister’s secretariat held detailed deliberations with Department of Urban development and Registrar, Cooperative, on the issue.

Pioneer report further says:

-The Additional Registrar provided a four-page report that tracked the history of the Samiti, its functioning and charges of irregularities against it.

-The Additional Registrar has pointed out that on receipt of charges of grave irregularities against the Samiti in 2000, a probe was initiated under Section 1965 of the Cooperative Act. The probe could not make any progress for several years because the Samiti office bearers did not provide required documents and files to the inquiry official. The probe was completed in 2009, when the then Registrar Cooperative societies, Mukesh Sharma, submitted his findings and directive on July 2, 2009. The probe confirmed a series of irregularities against the Samiti, and recommended its dissolution. But then Minister of cooperative Prasadi Lal Meena stayed the action against the Samiti. In addition, the Additional Registrar also referred to the way the Samiti surrendered its entire land to the JDA and its members asked for developed residential and commercial land as compensation. This was against the by-law of the committee, which was formed for joint farming alone.

-Based on this report, the Secretary of the Urban Development department, forwarded a one-page note to the Chief Minister’s Office on May 19. This report also confirmed that the Samiti sought developed and commercial land for the agriculture land surrendered by it. The report also pointed out Kamla Devi was incorporated as its executive committee member on May 22, 2011 against the provisions of the Cooperative societies Act.The secretary, Urban Development department also touched upon the bizarre claim by the Samiti that its members contributed 41,000-man days physical labour in 58 years.

-The final one-page letter sent by Gehlot to Sonia Gandhi incorporate the findings of these two reports.