Senior BJP politician and leader of opposition in HP assembly Prem Kumar Dhumal termed the re-allotment of Sai-Kothi project to Venture Energy & Technology Ltd. (VETL) as a contempt of Court.
Dhumal, in his 26 pages long press communiqué attached with photocopy of important Govt decision and letter, claimed that the state Govt in 2007 had assured the High Court that Project has been allotted to HPSEB, but on the contrary the state Govt re-allotted project to the company.
Senior BJP leader stated that in June 2002 the then BJP government had awarded Sai-Kothi project to VETL, but later issued Show Cause notice in Dec 2002 after finding violation of Clause 16 & 24 of the MOU.
Former Chief Minister further added that the Govt changed in 2003 and new Govt was also not convinced with the reply of Company and cancelled the project in 2003 and later in 2004 it terminated the its MOU. He said that the claims of Virbhadra Singh that his Govt had cancelled the Project and re-allotted to VETL as per the Court directions were baseless and accused him for misleading everyone.
Dhumal said that after terminating its MOU, Congress led Govt had discussed the matter thrice in the Cabinet to restore this project to the same company but it’s rejected since most cabinet members opposed the move.
Power Company had also approached High Court in Feb. 2005, but Court also gave its order against it and asks Govt to allot the project to HP State Electricity Board for its execution and commission, Dhumal added. Against the High Court decision, Company approached Hon’ble Supreme Court, but SC also supported High Court decision and didn’t give any relief to the company. Thereafter, the HP Cabinet on 7.11.2006 decided to allot Sai Kothi Project to HPSEB.
Prem Kumar Dhumal stated that, to the surprise to many, the HP Cabinet on 28.4.2007 decided to re-allot the project to the Company. Dhumal claimed that it’s clearly Contempt of Court as Govt did totally opposite to its claim in Court.
Prem Kumar Dhumal, his both son and senior national BJP leader Arun Jaitley had accused HP Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for favoring company and raised unsecured loan from the owner of the VETL and share holding of Virbhadra Singh family members in the other company of VETL’s owner. BJP leaders had even raised this issue of national level and demanded CM’s resignation for fair investigation.
BJP were raking this issue from past some time and even raised in the HP Vidhan Sabha earlier at Dharamshala and boycotted most of the sitting there and now again disrupting budget session (started from 3rd Feb) in Shimla as well. State BJP innovating different type of mode of protest and yesterday itself adorn the aprons with caricature of corruption allegations leveled against Chief Minister, which had only angered Vidhan Sabha speaker, who had asked BJP legislature to protest within the limit of law.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has rejected all opposition allegations and even filed defamation suit against Prem Kumar Dhumal, his son Anurag and Arun Dhumal and Arun Jaitley.
