Virbhadra hiding facts about Sai Kothi project: Dhumal

Opposition BJP today accused Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of concealing facts about Sai Kothi hydroelectric project saying there was no direction of any courts to re-allot it to Venture Energy and Technology Ltd.
Leader of Opposition in Himachal Assembly, P K Dhumal said the re-allotment of the 17MW hydroelectric project in 2007 was in contempt of court as the government had earlier said that the project was re-alloted to Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB).
He said he would bring the fact to the notice of the court when the matter was listed.
"There was no court direction, either by the Supreme Court or by the High Court to re-allot the project to VET Ltd, owned by Vakamullah Chandershekhar. The Chief Minister has misled the Congress high command and media over the issue by giving wrong details," Dhumal told reporters here.

He said the BJP government had started the process of cancellation of project in 2002 and was cancelled by successive Congress government in September 2004 but in February 2005, the project was reportedly re-allotted to the company.
A PIL (CWP 109/2005) was filed in High Court by Citizen Rights Protection Forum in February 2005 against re-allotment of project to company.

Dhumal alleged that the government did not provide correct information to the Court, following which it passed strong strictures against the government and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000, while asking it to file a supplementary affidavit.
Following which, the government then submitted before the court that the project was cancelled on merit and it had been allotted to HPSEB.

The company then approached Supreme Court which disposed of the SLP in September 2005, saying the company could take it up at appropriate forum and then it approached the High Court.
"While the case was still pending in HC, the government wrote a letter to the company that if it withdrew the case, the government was ready to re-allot the project to it. After which the promoter told the court that he was withdrawing the petition as there was some new development," Dhumal said.
The project was then re-allotted to the company in 2007.
"It was in contempt of court as the government had earlier informed the court that it had re-allotted the project to HPSEB," he said, adding he would bring it to the notice of the Court when the matter is listed.

Dhumal said the BJP was not afraid of any inquiry and the government can't silence us by hanging the sword of inquiries over their heads.
He said BJP MLAs felt insulted by CM's oft repeated references like 'gunda, muscleman, and gurgey, shikhandi and bandhua mazdoor'.
"When they cannot respect the elected representatives, how can they expect us to participate in the discussion.