Major land scam of LIT under Vigilance scanner

Kuldip Bhatia
Ludhiana, January 8

The Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) is in the new again and for all the wrong reasons. A major land scam worth several hundred crores again haunts the LIT authorities as a city-based advocate, Nalin Kaushik, has sought a high-level probe into misappropriation of part of land, acquired for development of 475-acre Shaheed Bhagat Sigh Nagar colony on Pakhowal Road here, in connivance with certain private persons and developers.

In a communication to the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner, the complainant has demanded that the revenue officials (specifically Tehsildar West) be directed to refrain from making entries of sale and transfer in revenue record in respect of 69-acre land which formed a part of 475-acre land along Pakhowal Road, acquired in 1979. He has stated in the complaint that on the directions of the Punjab Chief Minister, the Vigilance Bureau was already holding an inquiry into the alleged land scam.

In the information provided to Kaushik under the Right to Information Act (vide latter no. LIT/RTI/12091 dated October 30, 2018) the LIT authorities have made it clear that no part of 69-acre land, comprising Vikas Nagar and other localities, that fall within Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar on Pakhowal Road had been exempted under Section 56 of the Punjab Town Improvement Act 1922.

Kaushik had alleged in his complaint that despite the fact that ownership of (69 acre) land vested with the LIT after acquisition in 1979, the Revenue Department was entertaining sale and transfer deeds of this land which was tantamount to fraud and cheating. He had also charged the LIT officials and employees with being in league with the developers and unlawful occupants for their own personal gains.

“In spite of the vesting of the title of the land with the LIT after notification u/s 36 of the Punjab Town Improvement Act 1922, the officials of the Trust, the Municipal Corporation, Revenue Department, Electricity Department, in connivance with private developers and unlawful occupants are allowing illegal possession, selling and construction over the acquired land of trust surrounding the indoor stadium up to the (abandoned) City Centre project road,” the complaint had asserted.

Raising questions on the attempts by the LIT authorities to obtain possession of only the vacant land and turn a blind eye to the built-up structures, the complainant has alleged that the built-up structures in the area were being ignored deliberately by the LIT officials who had misappropriated the valuable property of the trust in lieu of illegal gratifications by intentionally not performing their duties well and now it would not be possible to obtain the possession of this acquired land/property.

Alleging that the desperate efforts by the LIT officials to take possession of vacant part of acquired land was a mere eyewash aimed at keeping the scam under wraps, the complainant asked the government to issue necessary directions to LIT to obtain the possession of the entire area acquired by the Trust (except the exempted area) and to take action against erring officials for allowing and aiding the grabbing of government land.