Patna, July 20: Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (Biada) today broke its silence on the alleged irregularities in the land allotment to relatives of politicians and bureaucrats, saying “no rules or norms violated in the allotment”.

“All I can say is that no rules were flouted or changed by Biada to favour anyone. They are all our entrepreneurs and we don’t differentiate between them. I will not say anything more than this as I have to submit a report to the chief secretary in this regard,” Biada managing director Anshuli Arya said.

Arya, however, refused to divulge details on the period of allotment and the ground on which they (wards of politicians and bureaucrats) were allotted plots in the different industrial areas across the state.

Opposition leaders have been demanding a probe into all aspects of the alleged irregularities in the land allotment.

RJD’s national general secretary and MP Ram Kripal Yadav said: “There must be a probe by an independent agency to ascertain whether all the norms were followed while allotting the plots in industrial areas, particularly when the applications were made and when the plots were allotted.”

Senior Congress leader Premchandra Mishra told The Telegraph that Biada, in an affidavit in the Supreme Court in June 2007, had submitted that allotments in future would be made through auction/bidding after taking out proper advertisements. Now, the government has made a departure from its affidavit to favour the “high and mighty”, Mishra said.

Terming the government’s decision to conduct a probe by the chief secretary as “ridiculous”, Mishra said: “Is it possible that a senior government official will make inquiries or give his opinion against the top notch, including ministers of the government?”

Arya said Biada has never followed the tendering process. “It has never been the practice in Biada to allot plots through tender. It is, rather, given on the basis of first come, first served after getting the approval from the project clearance committee (PCC) which examines the viability of the detailed project report.”

Stating that there were umpteen applications which Biada received for allotment of plots to set up industries, Arya said it was never the case that these people, who are now being dragged into an “unnecessary controversy”, were allotted plots either at the cost of other genuine entrepreneurs or by cancelling the plots of someone else.

Asked what are the criteria for getting plots, Arya said: “Yes, we do see the experience and educational background of entrepreneurs to ascertain the prospects, potential and genuineness of the candidates wishing to set up industries.”

The managing director, after being pressed to divulge the experience and educational qualifications of the persons who are under thick of storm, refused to reply, saying: “We can’t give you the personal details of anyone as I am going to submit the details to the chief secretary.”