Kejriwal presents ‘evidence’ of deal, Haryana and DLF reject allegations

Arvind Kejriwal alleged Tuesday that the Haryana government had given preferential treatment to DLF on several occasions, "illegally" favouring the company in awarding the tender for a golf course, manipulating the Gurgaon Manesar Urban Complex Plan 2025 to grant higher FAR, and using state machinery to facilitate land acquisition in Manesar by front companies of the real estate major.

Kejriwal sought to establish a quid pro quo in the alleged sweetheart deals he has accused DLF of cutting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra in return for favours.

In a statement issued late evening, DLF rubbished most of Kejriwal's contentions but refrained from speaking on two specific land allotments of 30 acres and 350 acres in Gurgaon, as the matters are sub judice.

In Chandigarh, officials of the department of town and country planning and Haryana State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) strongly denied charges of preferential treatment to DLF either in the grant of land or increase in FAR and density in DLF's sectors in Gurgaon and Manesar.

Alleging that DLF was allocated 350 acres for a golf course in Gurgaon, Kejriwal said: "Three parties applied — DLF, Country Heights and Unitech. The financial bids of Unitech and Country Heights were not opened. They were rejected at the technical stage saying that they did not have experience in constructing and maintaining golf course.

"This condition was introduced at the time of evaluating technical bids. Doesn't it raise suspicion whether this was done to reject other parties and to grant this contract to DLF?"

Kejriwal quoted from a judgment of Punjab and Haryana High Court reversing the state government's decision to award 30 acres of land to DLF for an SEZ, when the original reason for its acquisition was to construct a hospital. The court mentioned a nexus between the company and Haryana officials, and said there seemed to be an attempt to give legal cover to favours granted to DLF.

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