PIL filed against land allotment to officers

SHILLONG, DEC 17:  Allotment of land to state Civil Service Officers at Rs 1 per sq feet at the New Shillong in Mawdiangdiang by the Meghalaya government has been challenged by the Civil Society Women Organisation (CSWO) as it has file a public interest litigation at the Shillong bench of Guahati high court Monday.

The CSWO decided to challenge the state government for allotting land to state bureaucrats at much lower rate causing undue financial benefit of Rs 78.42 lakhs to the Civil Service Officers Housing Cooperative Society Limited after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report for year ending March 31, 2011 pointed out the “incorrect fixation of premium at a lower rate.”

“We have filed a PIL against the illegal allotment of land to State Civil Service officers for just Rs 1 per sq ft at New Shillong Township at Mawdiangdiang,” CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing told reporters.

Kharshiing said that the organization will now wait for the court order on the PIL before taking the next step.  She termed the allotment of land to state bureaucrats at Rs 1 per sq feet as an example of the abuse of power  which is not acceptable by the civil society.

The CAG report for the year ending March 31, 2011 had pointed out that, “Unauthorized allotment of land to the Civil Service Officers Housing Cooperative Society Limited and incorrect fixation of premium at a lower rate, resulted in undue financial benefit of Rs 78.42 lakh to the society, besides allotment of land in excess of the prescribed limit” thereby drawing a lot of flak from numerous quarters including civil society.

Other ngos like the FKJGP, HNYF, Maitshaphrang and Freedom Project have also supported the move of the CSWO to file the PIL. –By Our Reporter