Shimla: Controversy over a front company for DLF constructing high end cottages in a thickly forested area deepened with an RTI activist demanding registration of a criminal case about forgery committed in obtaining permission for the project.
Activist Om Prakash, in a representation to Director General Police, a copy of which was also made available to select media claimed that forged signatures of a dead persons had been used to obtain approval for construction of a road to the gated colony under construction.
Some of the persons, who have been shown as beneficiaries of the road, never really resided in the area, said Om Prakash claiming that he had personally met most the persons whose signatures had been forged on documents submitted to the government.
A forest pathway was widened from Parsi Cemetery to Old Brewery to provide access to the colony being constructed by Bamloe Development Co with help of special funds sanctioned on the basis of the documents, which purportedly carry the forged signatures.
Curiously there is a sharp resemblance of the handwriting on the document in which a representation was made before the CM office seeking construction of a road, and in the agreements to sell as well as the General Power of Attorney submitted with the project approval papers, says the activist.
All these documents procured under RTI give rise to strong suspicion that false representation and a conspiracy has been hatched to misuse public funds, said Prakash.
The road for which money was sanctioned by the DC, neither existed in the revenue or forest records, he added.
He demanded that an investigation be carried and the documents be sent to hand writing experts for ascertaining their authenticity.
The activist alleged that documents showed that oddly enough Forest department bought cement for construction of the road from Kharapattar, a distance of 80 Kms from Shimla that too without obtaining permission from Civil Supply Corporation, the supplier for government demand.
The controversial project had led to a furor in the Vidhan Sabha, with congress lawmakers staging a walkout in the house during the budge session.
Congress has been demanding scrapping of the project and an investigation over the permissions granted with Congressman Mukhesh Agnihotri holding that the government had bent rules to accommodate the builder, who was acting as a front for DLF.
The cottages and the colony, advertised as the only gated colony of Shimla is being displayed on the DLF website.
The activist has also marked copies of the complaint to the Governor, chief minister, secretary home, secretary forest, deputy commissioner Shimla and others.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
