Congress accuses Chhattisgarh government of favouring minister's wife in land deal
The Opposition Congress on Thursday accused the Vishnu Deo Sai government of providing undue benefits to State Minister Kedar Kashyap's wife through a town development scheme in Raipur. Congress leaders Rakesh Gupta and Shreekumar Shankar Menon claimed that Radhika Palace Private Limited—in which Mr Kashyap's wife Shanti serves as a director—was allotted a commercial plot in a prime area in exchange for land whose value was substantially lower.
According to Congress leaders, under the MR-43 Urban Development Scheme, the Raipur Development Authority (RDA) acquired original land from landowners and returns 40% of the land following development. The Congress alleged that the RDA website listed a plot measuring approximately 23,327 square feet to be allotted in exchange for original land owned by Radhika Palace Private Limited measuring approximately 1.33 acres. Mr. Gupta stated the acquired land, located on a narrow road in Nalapara Basti, was valued at only a few lakh rupees, while the plot given in exchange—situated on a 45-meter wide road near Saddu Chowk on Baloda Bazar Road—would exceed ₹20 crore once road construction was complete.
The BJP dismissed the allegations as baseless, while the RDA asserted that the allotment was done in accordance with the rules. Congress leaders also pointed out that the distance between the final plot and the original land indicated flouting of rules under the Chhattisgarh Town and Country Planning Act, 1973.
