Himachal Congress gives 'charge sheet' against BJP regime

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh Congress Wednesday gave a corruption "charge sheet" to President Pranab Mukherjee against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the hill state and demanded an inquiry against it.

The "charge sheet" was given to the president by Congress leaders, including state Congress chief Kaul Singh, leader of legislature party Vidya Stokes and party general secretary incharge of Himachal Pradesh Birender Singh.

Former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma were not present.

The Congress "charge sheet" has come about three months before the expected assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh.

Congress secretary Asha Kumari, who was among the delegation that met the president, said the party had prepared an 80-page "charge sheet" against the Prem Kumar Dhumal government.

"There have been massive land scams and favouritism. We requested the president to order an impartial inquiry by independent authority into the corruption of the BJP government in Himachal," Asha Kumari told IANS.

Birender Singh played down absence of Virbhadra Singh from the delegation. "Members of 'charge sheet' committee were present," he said.

In the "charge sheet", the Congress accused Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal of extending favours to his son Anurag Thakur, a BJP MP, and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) which is controlled by him.

It alleged that the government has provided several pieces of land to the HPCA in various parts of the state.

The Congress alleged that the government has extended favours to infrastructure group Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. in setting up hydropower and cement projects.

It also questioned the government permission granted to two private builders to develop housing projects in Shimla and in Kasauli.