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Govt land worth over Rs 2,000 cr misappropriated

LUDHIANA: The ambiguity over building control in the colonies developed by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) and transferred to the Municipal Corporation (MC) for maintenance, is being exploited to the hilt by unscrupulous elements to the extent that the allottees continue to violate terms and conditions of allotment and land/property worth thousands of crores continues to be misappropriated.

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Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, March 24

The ambiguity over building control in the colonies developed by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) and transferred to the Municipal Corporation (MC) for maintenance, is being exploited to the hilt by unscrupulous elements to the extent that the allottees continue to violate terms and conditions of allotment and land/property worth thousands of crores continues to be misappropriated.

In a complaint to the Principal Secretary, Local Government Department, Punjab, with copies to the Chief Vigilance Officer of Local Government, Punjab, the chairman of LIT and the MC Commissioner, a city resident, BR Katna, has alleged that a piece of 22,814 sq yd was allotted to New Senior Secondary School by LIT at a reserve price during 1965-70 in Sarabha Nagar Colony (at the back of Kipps Market).

“In the allotment letter it was clearly mentioned that the land would be used only for running a school and further that it could not be sold, leased out or be put to any other use than running a school. However, the management had closed down the school a couple of years ago and part of the land is being used for commercial purpose while remaining land has been sold/leased out to a couple of schools,” said the complainant.

Taking cognisance of the complaint, the LIT had issued a show-cause notice to the school (vide letter no. LIT/12549 dated November 22, 2018) saying the land use had been changed in violation of the terms and conditions of allotment which had made the allotment liable to be cancelled. The LIT officials took the stand that enforcement of building control and demolition of any illegal construction was to be carried out by MC.

The MC, to whom the Sarabha Nagar Colony stood transferred for maintenance and which is responsible for building control in such colonies, however, took the stand (vide letter no. 3673/ATP-D dated February 18, 2019) that land had been allotted by the Trust which was the competent authority to ensure the compliance of terms and conditions of allotment.

Even though the MC officials were trying to pass the buck to LIT, it was a matter of record that the MC had carried out demolition of illegal structures and parts of building being raised on this land twice – in 2013 and 2016. What had transpired between the MC and the allottee management of erstwhile school between 2016 and now remains a mystery and anybody’s guess.

The complainant has called upon the government to order a high-level probe after cancellation of allotment of land, initiate proceedings against the defaulting allottee and also take action against officials (of LIT and MC) who had either connived or failed to carry out their duty.

Slack enforcement

Due to slack enforcement both by LIT and the MC, a land scam worth over Rs 2,000 crore has surfaced in the posh Sarabha Nagar where prime land measuring over 22,000 sq yd allotted at reserve price to a school, has been partly put to commercial use and remaining sold/leased out in gross violation of terms and conditions of allotment.

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