By Our Reporter
Shillong: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has questioned allotment of land to State bureaucrats at Mawdiangdiang, terming it as ‘illegal’ since the Cabinet decision was just a direction to examine the ‘feasibility of allotment of land to professionals and bureaucrats’.
The CAG has also made it clear that government land can be allotted only by a Cabinet sub-committee.
It may be noted that the Civil Service Officers’ Housing Co-operative Society had in January 2006 applied to the State Revenue Department for allotment of 45.01 acres of government acquired land in New Shillong Township at Mawdiangdiang for construction of houses for the bureaucrats.
The Urban Affairs Department, which was the nodal agency for this project, in August 2008 conveyed to the Society the government’s approval to allot 45.01 acres of land on lease for 99 years on payment of a one-time premium of Rs 19.61 lakh and annual land revenue at Rs 494 per hectare as fixed by the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills.
The Society accordingly deposited the premium in October 2008, signed the lease deed in February 2009 and took possession of the land in May 2009.
“This was a patent misrepresentation of facts as the said Cabinet decision could not in any way be construed as approval for allotment of land to the Society,” the CAG report stated.
The report also noted that the assessment on the market value done by the DC East Khasi Hills in June 2008 of the 45.01 acres of land at Rs 1.96 crore and the fixation of the one-time premium to be paid by the society at 10 per cent of the market value which amounts to Rs 19.61 lakh was incorrect.
“This rate was only applicable in respect of government land allotted to the Society for social-cultural and agricultural purpose,” the CAG report said, adding that the correct rate to be applied in case of un-encroached government land allotted for residential purpose was 50 per cent of the Rs 1.96 crore which sums up to Rs 98.03 lakh.
“Instead of Rs 98.03 lakh, the Society paid only Rs 19.61 lakh. This resulted in undue financial benefit of Rs 78.42 lakh to the Society,” the report stated.
The report has also highlighted that the land allotted was in excess of the prescribed limit. In December 2006, as per the State Chief Secretary’s decision, a plot for each society member should not exceed 300 sq mts (3,229 sq feet).
Since the Society’s membership was limited to 50 members as per its bye-laws, as computed with reference to this number, the total allotment of land should have been 1,61,450 sq ft instead of 45.01 acres (19,60,636 sq ft).
“Even if 25 per cent of the land is laid off for common facilities like internal roads, drainage and others, the area of each plot for the 50 members works out to 29,409.45 sq ft which is 811 per cent more than the what the Urban Affairs Department had stipulated for each member,” the CAG report stated.