Sources in the state government said, initially, Priyanka was allowed to purchase the land as a non-Himachal state subject on seven conditions, which were then relaxed periodically under Section 118 of the Land Revenue Act, 1972.
It is not the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh alone, but the BJP government too tweaked rules to help Priyanka Gandhi Vadra set up her dream summer retreat at a height of over 8,000 feet in Chharabra village, 15km from Shimla. The successive governments by the political rivals not only helped clear her application for purchase of the land but also overlooked rules to allow her complete the construction within two years. The law in the state mandates a special cabinet approval for purchase of real-estate by someone from outside the state.
Sources in the state government said, initially, Priyanka was allowed to purchase the land as a non-Himachal state subject on seven conditions, which were then relaxed periodically under Section 118 of the Land Revenue Act, 1972. The government had stonewalled all attempts to disclose any information related to the property, forcing the Himachal Pradesh State Information Commission to order authorities to furnish information to the RTI activist Debasheesh Bhattacharya. While state government is yet to comply with the commission's order, documents show it was during the previous tenure of chief minister Raja Virbhadra Singh that she had approached him with a wish to build a house and raise an orchard at Chharabra, adjacent to the summer retreats of President of India and Governor of Punjab. The total land bought by her in two parts was 36.09 acres.
The first purchase was made on August 10, 2007 for land measuring 31.84 acres (bearing khasra numbers 68, 691, 79 and 801), with a built-in two-storeyed house and a water tank at a cost of Rs 47 lakh. Priyanka again bought land adjacent to her plot on July 29, 2011 with all the clearances granted by the state government when the BJP was in power. She bought land with khasra numbers 26473 and 26573 and the sale deed was registered on Rs 20 stamp paper in the office of the SDM, Rural, on September 22, 2011. The village is surrounded by evergreen pine forests, and has magnificent views of the Himalayas. One side of Chharabra is part of the catchment area for the Yamuna river while the other side is part of the catchment area for the Satluj river. The entire area around Chharabra is densely forested and is part of Shimla reserve forest sanctuary and catchment area.
Earlier, it was at the request of Priyanka herself that the Himachal government had withheld information regarding details of her property. She had written to the state government, following a July 2014 RTI query by activist Debashish Bhattacharya, that any disclosure will throw her life in danger. The Shimla deputy commissioner also cited that information could not be given as Priyanka is enjoying SPG security cover.
Priyanka had herself taken care of the construction details of her dream cottage. Last year, in April, she had ordered dismantling of the entire structure, as she was not happy at the way it was coming up. Sources close to Gandhi family said Priyanka chose this site as she had stayed here at the retreat with her father, former prime minister the late Rajiv Gandhi, on many occasions.
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