BJP Demands Judicial Probe into Chester Hills Housing Project Irregularities

The Himachal Pradesh BJP has called for an investigation by a sitting high court judge into alleged irregularities concerning the Chester Hills project, a high-end housing scheme in Solan. The opposition labeled the acting chief secretary's press conference as 'unprecedented.'

Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta defended the housing project, dismissing allegations as baseless, while the CPI(M) raised concerns of land law violations. State BJP chief spokesperson Randhir Sharma criticized the government for its purported silence, suggesting it was not only defending corrupt officers but rewarding them with extended terms and plum postings.

Meanwhile, a recently introduced Rs 100 entry tax on passenger vehicles in Himachal Pradesh sparked protests. The government, heeding public complaints, reduced the tax to its original rate. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced this rollback in the Assembly.