LJP demands probe into 'land racket' in Bihar

New Delhi: Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP has demanded a CBI inquiry into an alleged land racket in the name of Dalits in Bihar, claiming the "open loot" of funds meant for poorest of the poor had "exposed" the NDA government in the state.

"Open loot of funds meant for providing land and home to the poorest of the poor amongst the Dalits, in Bihar, has once again completely exposed the corrupt NDA Govt of Bihar.

"Lok Janshakti Party demands that the whole case of this land racket should be inquired by CBI, so that this massive land scam is fully investigated and the guilty punished," party secretary general Abdul Khaliq said.

A newspaper report had alleged that plots given to at least 300 of these families under the Mahadalit Vikas Yojana were purchased at low prices from villagers who were largely unaware of the scheme, and then sold to the government at higher price.

Alleging "cheating, forgery and misappropriation of money" by the officials and their agents in the scheme, Khalik said that land was purchased by the middlemen at throw away prices from poor farmers and sold to the government at higher rates. Referring to another report about illegal possession of government land all over the state, he said, "When government land is available for distribution among the poor, it should recover the same for distributions and not dispossess the poor farmers of their land."

[Courtesy: Zee News, June 6, 2012]