PM's adviser denies irregularity in allotment of plots

With a media report suggesting that two plots were allotted to his niece and a friend in Bengaluru in an "irregular" manner, the prime minister's Adviser T K A Nair on Sunday insisted that "no irregularity or illegality" was involved in it "to the best of my knowledge".

Nair said he had sought "all the relevant facts" in this matter even as he dismissed as "absolutely baseless" any linkage to the Tatra truck deal.

"My attention has been drawn to media reports about the alleged irregular allotment of  residential plots of the Housing Cooperative Society of BEML to my relatives and family friends. To the best of my knowledge no irregularity or illegality was involved in the allotments," Nair said in a statement.

"I have requested the PMO to obtain all the relevant facts of this matter through the Department of Defence Production," he said.

The statement came in the wake of a media report which suggested that the plots were allotted to Nair's niece A Preethy Prabha and family friend Uma Devi Nambiar at "throwaway prices" in BEML society in South Bengaluru in 2008.

The media report said the allotments were made at a time when complaints about the role of BEML Chairman and Managing Director V R S Natarajan in controversial Tatra truck deal were pending with the Prime Minister's Office besides the Central Vigilance Commission and Ministry of Defence.

Responding to this, Nair said, "The insinuation linking these allotments with the Tatra deal is absolutely baseless".