L-G Jung allotted land meant for school to BJP for building party office: Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: Opening another front against Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday accused him of allotting land, earmarked for a school, to BJP for the purpose of building its party office and wondered what “forced” the LG to take such a step. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked the LG whether he is only expected to please his “political bosses” in his capacity as the DDA chairman. “This is unacceptable,” he said. In a two-page letter, which was promptly uploaded on social media by Kejriwal, Sisodia repeatedly asked Jung as to what “compelled” him to change the land usage, which, he said, is resorted to only in cases where public interest is involved. However, Delhi Development Authority, headed by the LG, claimed that the land usage, from a “nursery school” to one for a party office, has not been changed but is in “due process”. [caption id=“attachment_2434824” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. PTI[/caption] “What public interest will be served through this? I have always had this belief that no matter what your stance would be on centre-state relations you will always be with the government on issues of education. But I am surprised by this decision of yours. What were the compulsions that forced you to take this step?” Sisodia asked. Observing that LG is “owner of land” in Delhi and has the requisite authority to take decision in this regard, Sisodia said the Constitution has not vested him with this power so that “you can allot land earmarked for school to a party which is in power at the Centre…a party that has been given three seats by the people in Delhi.” Sisodia further wrote that the way the matter was wrapped up within few months is “unprecedented” considering DDA has kept pending several requests related to education. “Why is it that there is delay in alloting land for schools whereas land allotment to BJP is done in an expeditious manner?” “The land where school would be built, students would play, library, lab and classrooms constructed, classes of nursery run, you (Jung) want to build office of BJP and its leaders. I am surprised that as being educationist, how have you taken this decision?” Sisodia asked. Sisodia urged Jung to revoke the decision and to serve the people of Delhi “under the principles which has been vested upon you under the constituion of India.” Reacting to the charges, a senior DDA official said that the matter was in the “initial stage” and was far from being final. It goes into the public domain for objections and suggestions, and if the Delhi government has an objection to it, it can tell us, he said. The official said, it is only after the procedure for receiving objections and suggestions has been completed that a board of inquiry sits and approves the changes it deems fit. And, finally the DDA Authority approves it. “So, I don’t get where is the point of worry,” he said. However, contrary to DDA’s claims, the Deputy Chief Minister’s letter gave an impression that a decision has already been taken to change land usage. “In a state where students do not have adequate classrooms and 150-150 students are studying in one class room, you (LG) have decided to give land alloted for school to Bharatiya Janata Party,” Sisodia wrote. Stating that opening a party office did not amount to a “crime”, Sisodia said any decision in alloting land in this regard has to be a “conscientious” one. “If one shopping mall is not opened it would not matter. If a residential complex does not come up it won’t matter, but you have reduced a school. If you want to allot land to BJP then allot the bungalow of an officer or a minister,” he said. PTI