BJP leader bought land in Nagrota that was not meant for sale

New Delhi: The land that top BJP leader and Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh bought near the defence ammunition depot in Nagrota, was reportedly not meant for sale under state’s law. Even after Army’s opposition to erect a building in the plot, Nirmal Singh’s wife Mamta Singh started constructing a multi-storey house on the plot without getting the building plan approved, said officials.

Along with Singh, the land was also bought by RSS leaders in Jammu being “shamlat” plot (a common land). Moreover, the broker who made the deal said the buyers have not yet paid him, reported The Indian Express. On the other hand, the BJP leader claimed that the land bought by his wife was a “private ownership property”, adding that she has got the building plan approved by the Block Development Officer concerned.

When asked about whether a permit was given for construction, Nagrota BDO Asif Amin Chandel said, “We have not given any NOC to anyone in that area, under Nadore panchayat.” When Jammu Development Authority’s vice-chairman R K Shewan was asked about the issue, he said it is “not there in our records”. The J&K Revenue Minister Ghulam Nabi also told The Indian Express that “shamlat” cannot be sold in the state.

Also Read: Congress questions J&K BJP leaders buying land near ammunition depot

The Congress earlier this month had accused Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker and state’s Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta of endangering security near an Army ammunition depot by buying land in its proximity and asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would take action against them.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala had in a press conference said that Himgiri Infrastructure Development Pvt Ltd, owned by Gupta, Singh and BJP MP Jugal Kishore, had purchased an 12-acre land in 2014 next to Army’s ammunition depot at Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir.

Surjewala said Singh started constructing his house on his 2,000 sq.mt plot at a distance of 530 metre from the outer wall of the ammunition depot at a village in Nagrota Tehsil and had rejected the serious concerns raised by the corps commander.

“Will the Prime Minister, who seeks votes in the name of Army, take action against BJP’s Deputy CM, Speaker and other leaders for blatantly endangering national security by their illegal activities. Will they resign,” Surjewala had asked.

With IANS inputs