BJP alleges irregularities in shop allotment, stages walkout in Himachal Assembly

Shimla, Aug 27 (PTI) Allotment of shops by Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees in Shimla and Kinnaur triggered uproar in the Himachal Assembly on Wednesday as opposition BJP members alleged irregularities and staged a walkout.

Raising the issue during question hour, Randhir Sharma and Sudhir Sharma (BJP) alleged gross irregularities in the allotment of 70 shops in these market yards and demanded cancellation of the allotments.

Randhir Sharma said that 133 applications were received for 70 shops, including 34 in Shilaroo, 28 in Parala, and eight in Tutu (Shimla). He alleged that 63 applications were deliberately rejected and only the applications of those to whom shops were allotted were retained.

Replying to the question, Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar denied any irregularity and insisted the allotments were made in accordance with the policy of the Agriculture Marketing Board, notified in 2021, with allotments of Rs 150 to Rs 900 above the base price.

He said two complaints were received by the Board from Narkanda Agro-fresh Producers Limited and Rohit Kumar. In the first case, the applicant had not deposited the required security of Rs 5 lakh, while in the second, the relevant certificate of the desired category was not produced. Neither of the applications was entertained, and other applications were rejected for valid reasons, he added.

The BJP members demanded an investigation into the matter and cancellation of all allotments. Balbir Verma (BJP) pointed out that shops in Parala Mandi, auctioned for Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 ten years ago, were now rented out for Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000, raising suspicion and warranting investigations.

Alleging that the Controlled Atmosphere (CA) store at Parala, set up at a cost of Rs 67 crore, was leased for Rs 3.36 crore, Verma demanded an enquiry.

Chander Kumar said, "No irregularities were found in the allotment in the detailed inquiry," and accused BJP members of making vague allegations without mentioning specific instances or providing evidence to hog headlines.

Dissatisfied with the minister’s assurance to look into the allegations if specific instances were mentioned, BJP members raised slogans and staged a walkout.

Later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan condemned the walkout and asserted that shops were auctioned above the fixed base price. He questioned how shops could be allotted if applicants did not fulfil the eligibility criteria.

"They must mention specific instances instead of making vague allegations of irregularities," he said, adding that the land of HPMC in Chennai was sold for throwaway prices while the Rs 3-crore cardboard factory at Gumma was sold for Rs 90 lakh during the BJP regime. PTI BPL HIG HIG