CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today disproved each and every allegation levelled by chief minister Bhagwant Mann vis a vis the Sukh Vilas resort and challenged him to prove that the project promoters - Metro Eco Greens had received incentives worth Rs 8 crore, forget Rs 108 crore as alleged by him.
The Sukh Vilas otel is owned by SAD president Sukhbir Badal and his family members as shareholders. The hotel is located near New Chandigarh. Bhagwant Mann had yesterday alleged Badals tweaked laws to get benefits of Rs.108 crore for their hotel project. They violated the forest laws and carved the eco tourism poicy to build their hotel.
Terming the chief minister’s allegations as a pack of lies, SAD general secretary Parambans Singh Romana said “it is clear that these allegations have been levelled purely to divert attention from the manner in which the chief minister has backstabbed the farmers and their cause and are in line with the hit and run tactics adopted on various occasions when cornered”.
Asserting that each and every allegation of the chief minister was a lie and that he would have to face a defamation suit in case he did not apologise for the same, Mr Parambans Romana said “Mr Bhagwant Mann’s claims that a tailor made policy was made to extend tax incentives to Sukh Vilas and that the same were revoked when the resort was completed is a naked lie”. He said the truth of the matter was that the incentives were given under the investment policy of the Invest Punjab department and that the policy was in force even today. Asserting that anyone establishing an industry in Punjab was eligible for these incentives, Mr Romana said “in fact the current incentives are more than what Sukh Vilas received”. He also detailed that eight hotels and 56 industries had received incentives under this policy in Mohali alone besides around 600 in the State. He clarified that incentives for eco projects were also in force and had not been revoked.
He also disclosed that the incentives in the new Punjab Industrial and Business Development Policy framed by the AAP government had increased the SGST exemption from 75 per cent for ten years to 100 per cent for 15 years and electricity duty from 100 per cent for ten years to 100 per cent for 15 years. “This shows the chief minister is either completely ignorant about State incentives as well as the State Industrial policy or is a habitual liar. Instead of indulging in such skullduggery the chief minister should tell why despite a sharp increase in incentives investments in the State had come down under his tenure and capital worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore had migrated to other States including Uttar Pradesh ''.
Mr Romana said the chief minister’s contention that incentives worth Rs 108 crore had been given to Sukh Vilas in ten years was a canard. He said the chief minister claimed that an incentive of Rs 85.84 crore had been given to Sukh Vilas as SGST/ VAT refund. “The actual figure is only Rs 4.29 crore. I challenge him to show receipts/ transfer of Rs 85 crore refund to Metro Green if any”.
The SAD leader said Bhagwant Mann had also lied about Luxury Tax and Annual License Fee incentive refunds received by Sukh Vilas. He said the Luxury Tax was abolished by the union government since July 2017. He said against a License Fee incentive of Rs 11.44 crore claimed by the chief minister, Metro Green availed of an incentive of only Rs 79.90 lakh.
Mr Parambans Romana also debunked the chief minister’s allegation that the road connecting the Main Hotel (Pocket A) to Tents (Pocket B) was constructed using government funds. He showed receipts proving this road had been paid for by Metro Greens and that Rs 68.13 lakh had been paid to the Mandi Board for this purpose.
The Akali leader also accused the chief minister of lying by stating that the erstwhile SAD led government bent rules to give permission for CLU and construction of the resort on land under PLPA. Mr Romana said the truth was that CLU’s for lands under PLPA could only be given by the Government of India and that the State government did not have any role in the same. He said all permissions for the Sukh Vilas project were sought from the centre between 2008-11. “The same acreage (20.80 acres) of non forest land was transferred in the name of the Punjab Forest department as per rates fixed by the Supreme Court in its order dated 28-3-2008”.
Mr Romama said the chief minister was apparently frustrated by the popularity of the SAD’s Punjab Bachao yatra and had tried to speak derogatorily about it in his press conference yesterday. Explaining the reasons why the SAD had initiated the Punjab Bachao yatra, Mr Romana said “Aam Aadmi Party misrule has bankrupted Punjab with this government borrowing an unprecedented Rs 60, 000 crore in two years”. He said the chief minister had failed farmers by going back on his promise to procure all 23 crops on MSP besides refusing crop damage to farmers. “Similarly the poor are being denied Shagun scheme, SC Scholarship and free cycles while Atta - dal and old age pension cards have been severely curtailed”. He said the youth were not being given any jobs even as women were being denied the Rs 1, 000 per month allowance promised to them.