Congress calls for probe into land deals linked to Shikhar Agarwal; demands CM response

Jaipur: Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra Thursday alleged irregularities in decisions linked to IAS officer Shikhar Agrawal, who was removed from all posts a day earlier, and demanded that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma make a public statement explaining the govt’s action against him.Dotasra said the IAS officer’s long stint as the chief minister’s secretary warranted clarification on decisions taken during that period also. He flagged land transactions in which properties bought for about Rs 6.15 crore were later leased out at an annual rent of Rs 1.85 crore, calling for scrutiny of the deals. He further sought probes into the alleged halting of a RIICO auction in Daulatpura, and questioned file movements related to Mahindra SEZ and a project involving the Adani Group, asking the state govt to disclose how and why the decisions were made.“Are the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and Central Bureau of Investigation meant only to target and intimidate Congress? Or, these are to prevent corruption? The govt must demonstrate impartiality in the Agrawal case,” Dotasra said, speaking to the media.Dotasra also claimed bureacuratic infighting has intensified in the state, citing former chief secretary Sudhansh Pant’s mid-term transfer out of Rajasthan and now Agrawal being placed on awaiting-posting orders. Until Wednesday, Agarwal was heading industries, investment, MSME, state enterprises and couple of other departments, as the additional chief secretary. He was also chairperson of RIICO and RAJSICO.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Jaipur | Silver Rate in Jaipur | Bank Holidays in Jaipur | Public Holidays in Jaipur | Jaipur AQI | Weather in Jaipur | Petrol Price in Jaipur | Diesel Price in Jaipur | CNG Price in Jaipur | LPG Price in JaipurStay updated with the latest Jaipur news. Download the TOI App.