Governments notify to purchase lands from private owners for public purpose under Land acquistion act- an archaic law set to be repealed and replaced with a more liberal acquistion and rehabilitation act with generous pricing of the land- 3 time the market value for urban properties and 5 times in case of rural properties to ensure that future appreciation of land value gets translated to original owners. Here again, political masters grant access to private companies to buy lands at throw away prices. Infosys alone cornered thousands of acres of land at throw away prices like wise many other click and mortar companies. These deals were questioned by Devegowda and because it was Devedgowda who questioned them, they were never taken seriously.

What was Robert Vadhra;s sin in his land deals vis-a vis DLF. Allegations by the media aided by a flamboyant IAS officer Khemka who was unceremoniously transferred from this posting allegedly for daring to expose Vadra claim that Vadra netted a cool profit of close to 40 crores through questionable deals aided by an obliging Haryana Government. Vadra's Company Skylight hospitalities enter in to a sale deed with one Omkareswar Propertiesfor transfer of 2.5 acres of land for a consideration of Rs. 8 crore.The Sale deed mentions the payment of the consideration through a cheque which is supposedly never encashed.  Then Skyline hospitalities apply for a licence to change land use - for colonisation. This is granted to the company which then enters in to a colloborative development agreement with realty major DLF. This agreement is also registered as required under law for transfer of owner ship at a future date. This Vadra's company does after 6 months and sells the property for some 50 crores the balance premium accruing to Vadra. The Registration fees for land transfer in the first instance is also paid by the seller. Asok Khemka stumbles upon this and on the day he was shunted out, mutates the earlier deal. The Haryana Government appoints a committe of senior IAS officers who then find administrative flaws in Khemka's order and declare that all deals of Vadra are clean.

This time, Khemka dwells further deep in to the issue and claims that the series of transactions prior to transfer of title to DLF are all fake and illegal. He sends his findings to the Government even though they had not required this to be done by him. 

On the face of it Vadra has done a business deal as any other businessmen in realty sector does. The charge is that the swiftness with which all clearances were given are due to the fact that he happens to be son in law of Sonia. Prashant Bhushan wrongly claims that Vadra could be prosecuted under PCA.

There has been many more transactions like this in Haryana under the guise of urban development and the value of such transactions are estimated to be a whopping 3 lakh crores. This appreciation in land value has accrued to private individuals and this is a cost of urban development. Due to this appreciation, Government would have earned higher stamp duty revenue whenever a subsequent sale take place. What is a big deal about this? In the same yardstick, the value of land gifted away to IT companies who have a tremendous clout in stock market have also accrued to a cluth of private individuals,  Will any body reclaim those lands or call for the companies to compensate the original owners and the government?

Nevertheless, this has hugely embarrassed Sonia and her party. They better come clean on this deal at the earliest.