'Land scams' rock Uttarakhand

STAFF WRITER 12:26 HRS IST

Dehradun, June 27 (PTI) Leaders of both ruling BJP and opposition Congress in Uttarakhand are now battling 'land scam' allegations.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank has come under fire from the Opposition for changing the land use of a biochemical factory at Rishikesh. Leader of Opposition H S Rawat and PCC chief Yashpal Arya alleged that it was done to provide benefits to some BJP leaders.

Nishank, however, denied allegations of any irregularity in the Rs 400 crore Rishikesh housing project where land use pattern of 30 acres of land of Citurgia Biochemicals Limited was changed for housing purposes.

"I can say with authority that the land use pattern of the project was changed strictly under the guidelines of BIFR (Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction). There was no irregularity of any kind, not even of a single paisa," Nishank said.