Home Dept seeks nod to prosecute revenue officer

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 19

The Home Department has sought permission to prosecute District Revenue Officer (DRO) and tehsildar for permission for grant of land to Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust in Solan district.

The request comes at a time when the Cabinet is preparing to slash the Rs 27 crore lease amount for the 28 acres (96.2 bighas) allotted to the Yogpeeth Trust at Kehlog village in Solan's Kandaghat area. Even more interesting is the fact that the 2013 FIR registered against Bal Krishan, an aide of Ramdev, Lalit Mohan, the then MD of the trust and others, including an official, still stands.

The FIR was registered with the Kandaghat police station on Feburary 1, 2013, for forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy after the land allotted in Chauhada village was changed to a site in Kehlog village. The Home Department had earlier sought permission from the Personnel Department to prosecute the then DC and Additional District Magistrate, Solan, during whose tenure the lease was made and permission granted.

The Solan district administration issued seven notices to the trust to deposit the annual lease amount (Rs 1.19 crore) but to no avail. Thereafter, the matter was referred to the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) for action.

The trust contends that a cut in the lease money will benefit the locals, who can cultivate and sell herbs and medicinal plants. It wants a one-time lease charge. The land at Kehlog was given to the trust on a 99-year lease on a token annual fee of Re 1. The Congress, while in the Opposition, had claimed that the land was valued at Rs 35.4 crore but was allotted to Ramdev’s trust at a throwaway price.

The trust proposal to set up a herbal farm ran into rough weather when on February 19, 2013, the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government cancelled the lease. Subsequently, the Solan district administration on February 22 took possession of the land.