Shimla, March 30: Heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition members were witnessed in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly today over the sale of Himalayan Fertiliser Industrial Unit, a government undertaking, by the previous Congress government.
Replying to a question of Randhir Sharma (BJP), Industries Minister Krishan Kapoor said that the unit was sold to Goodwill Industries for Rs 3.06 crore which further sold it Indian cards clothing for Rs 7.51 crore after getting permission from the government.
The entire opposition was on its feet when Sharma criticised the Congress government for allowing the resale.
The minister said that the state vigilance department was probing the deal and a case under sections 420 and 120B of IPC was registered on January 23, 2009.
He said the cabinet had earlier refused to grant approval for reselling the unit but the firm moved the court seeking permission for resale of auctioned unit.
In the meantime, the matter was again put up before the cabinet which gave its approval for resale even though the Industry Department and General Industrial Corporation objected to it.
Replying to supplementaries, Kapoor accused the previous Congress government of allowing resale of the unit in a haste, sparking protests from the opposition members.
The two sides continued to trade charges even as the Speaker tried to pacify the members by asking the Chief Minister to intervene.
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that the Minister had given the reply to specific questions being asked by the members and there seemed to be no reason to get agitated over the issue as the probe was already in progress and the matter would be taken to its logical conclusion after the enquiry.
He said tet previous government failed to give the reasons for allowing resale of assets which attracted more than double the price within three years and the government had to order vigilance enquiry into the matter.
———PTI