City BJP chief, kin of AEO among 158 served notices

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 28

As many as 158 owners of agricultural land and farmhouses are in trouble as the land acquisition officer (LAO) has issued fresh notices of demolition to them for the construction carried out in violation of the Periphery Control Act, 1952, in the past over one month on agricultural land.

Sources said those who were served the notices of demolition includes city BJP president Sanjay Tandon, and KK Dhawan, father of Assistant Estate Officer (AEO) Prince Dhawan. While Tandon was served notice for the construction on his land by the LAO at Khuda Ali Sher, KK Dhawan was served notice for the construction and installation of a mobile phone tower without permission on agricultural land.

Tandon said he bought the land to construct a kitchen for providing free langar to patients and their attendants of the PGI but he stopped 

the construction of the same in June after receiving an order from the Administration.

He said it was a noble cause which his foundation had been carrying out for the past five-six years.

“If the Administration does not allow, then he will sale out the land and buy land at some other place to run the kitchen,” he said.

Meanwhile, KK Dhawan claimed that the notice was issued without verifying facts.

He said the LAO office gave him the permission on January 1, 2010, for the construction of a temporary room for the caretaker on his agricultural land in Khuda Ali Sher. They had already applied for permission for the installation of the mobile phone tower under the Mobile Phone Tower Policy on July 12, 2010, and the High Court had also stayed further action against the towers. The notice was also a contempt of court.

Sources said some of the former bureaucrats, politicians, industrialists and businessmen, who own agricultural land in periphery areas, were also on the list of those on whom notices were served.

The notices were issued by the UT Land Acquisition Officer in the past one month after a survey was carried out in the area, which had revealed illegal constructions in the peripheral villages, including Kaimbwala and Khuda Ali Sher. Recently, a demolition drive was also carried out in these areas.