Haryana land acquisition: CBI takes over ‘cheating case’

The CBI on Thursday started a probe into the alleged irregularity in the purchase of 400 acres of farmers’ land in Gurgaon during 2004-07 at throw-away prices through a nexus between government officials and private builders, causing a loss of over Rs 1,600 crore to farmers. 

Private builders purchased the land, whose market value at that time was above Rs 4 crore per acre totalling around Rs 1,600 crore, from farmers at only Rs 100 crore. The CBI claims that in the alleged conspiracy, a loss of Rs 1,500 was caused to farmers in Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula villages.

Initially, the Haryana government had issued a notification under the Land Acquisition Act for land measuring 912 acres, for setting up an industrial model township at villages in Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula. 

However, the then state government withdrew the notification on August 24, 2007, and by that time, private builders had allegedly purchased the land from farmers at meagre rates.

A case has been registered against unknown public servants of the Haryana government and private persons under various sections of Indian penal Code, dealing with cheating and forgery and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Private builders allegedly in connivance with unknown public servants of Haryana government had purchased around 400 acres from farmers and land owners at villages in Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula near Gurgaon at throw-away prices. It is alleged that the acquisition was ensured by allegedly threatening the farmers that the government was trying to acquire the land.

Earlier, the BJP government in Haryana was planning to probe the release of around 16,000 acres of land by the previous Congress regime from the official acquisition process after it had issued notifications to acquire them for “public purpose”.

Official figures show that 2,602.58 acres of land <g data-gr-id="37">was</g> released by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), under the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government, in just three districts: Gurgaon, Sonipat and Rohtak. Out of which bulk of the land released was obtained by private real estate developers.  The figures further show that of the 16,000 acres released, the then government subsequently issued over 175 Change of Land Use (CLUs)/ colony licenses on 4,636.608 acres.  

According to the figures, the previous state government issued notifications for the acquisition of 72,922.50 acres of land from March 1, <g data-gr-id="36">2005</g> to July 31, 2013. It finally ended up acquiring 56,917.644 acres.  The official records also provide details of how most of the land, thus released across the state, ended up in the hands of private players.

In Gurgaon 1,400 acres notified for acquisition for “public purpose” in sectors 58-64 and 65-67 were released from the acquisition process. Last September, the Supreme Court sought details of each sale deed of the land that was sold after it was released. And 912 acres notified in Manesar, Lakhnaula and Naurangpur for rehabilitating industrial workers were released and ultimately obtained by private players.