Ghaziabad realty lottery throws up fraud
Ghaziabad realty lottery throws up fraud
Ghaziabad: An internal inquiry has unearthed rigging in a draw of 200 square metre plots of the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) held in February 17 last year. The authority has suspended its computer programmer, Atul Sharma.
The UP government has ordered another inquiry by a high-powered committee to identify others involved in the fraud. It will also go into whether there could have been rigging in other past draws. Besides, it will decide how duped winners of the draw will be compensated.
A GDA officer said: ‘‘The inquiry committee will comprise the GDA vice-chairman, the district magistrate and a special secretary to the UP government. The suspension of Atul Sharma has been ordered by the state government and an FIR is likely to be filed against him.’’
The rigging had been carried out in a draw for 59 plots located on Loni Road under the Indraprastha scheme. About 15,000 applications were received for the scheme.
The GDA had not allowed journalists to cover the actual draw. Former GDA board member Rajendra Tyagi said: ‘‘I got the proceedings video-taped secretly. While the winners’ names were announced informally, GDA did not officially declare the list until three months later. The names of 30 actual winners of the draw had been changed in this list.’’
Tyagi then produced a video CD of the original proceedings. Also, a departmental inquiry was ordered under GDA joint secretary R P Pande. He has confirmed that names of 11 actual draw winners were changed.
Ghaziabad: An internal inquiry has unearthed rigging in a draw of 200 square metre plots of the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) held in February 17 last year. The authority has suspended its computer programmer, Atul Sharma.
The UP government has ordered another inquiry by a high-powered committee to identify others involved in the fraud. It will also go into whether there could have been rigging in other past draws. Besides, it will decide how duped winners of the draw will be compensated.
A GDA officer said: ‘‘The inquiry committee will comprise the GDA vice-chairman, the district magistrate and a special secretary to the UP government. The suspension of Atul Sharma has been ordered by the state government and an FIR is likely to be filed against him.’’
The rigging had been carried out in a draw for 59 plots located on Loni Road under the Indraprastha scheme. About 15,000 applications were received for the scheme.
The GDA had not allowed journalists to cover the actual draw. Former GDA board member Rajendra Tyagi said: ‘‘I got the proceedings video-taped secretly. While the winners’ names were announced informally, GDA did not officially declare the list until three months later. The names of 30 actual winners of the draw had been changed in this list.’’
Tyagi then produced a video CD of the original proceedings. Also, a departmental inquiry was ordered under GDA joint secretary R P Pande. He has confirmed that names of 11 actual draw winners were changed.