The alleged irregularities in land allotment for mega projects in Chandigarh have not only stalled development to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore in the city but have also led to a face-off between Chandigarh Administrator Gen (Retd) S F Rodrigues and Union Ministers Ambika Soni and Pawan Kumar Bansal. VARINDER BHATIA on the origin and developments in the alleged scam:

What is the Chandigarh ‘land scam’?

At the centre of the controversy is allotment of land to mega projects like Film City, Medical City, Theme-cum-Amusement Park and the Information Technology Park in Chandigarh. Allegations of irregularities and corruption have surfaced with regard to not just allotment of sites but also selection of companies. Gen (retd) S F Rodrigues, who was appointed UT Administrator-cum-Punjab Governor in 2004, had floated numerous proposals with the aim of getting metropolitan status to Chandigarh. His team of bureaucrats conceptualised and launched multi-crore projects in the city and unprecedented investment worth hundreds of crores was made in the setting up of the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park (which was originally envisioned by Rodrigues’s predecessor Lt. Gen. JFR Jacob), IT-habitat project Prideasia, Filmcity, Theme Park, Medicity and Education City.

When did it come under scrutiny?

The projects started running into rough weather in 2006 when the Filmcity project was advertised. Local social activist Hemant Goswami flooded the administration with applications seeking information on the mega projects, under the Right to Information Act. The CIC had to eventually intervene for the said information to be released. The projects attracted wider media scrutiny towards the end of 2006 and more questions were asked.

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