Land acquisition fraud to the fore

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 10

The police have registered a case of fraud with regard to making false entries in the assessment register and e-rolls and also fraudulently making three persons beneficiaries of compensation at Samrala and Ghulal village in this district. The matter is related to land acquired by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at Samrala and Ghulal.

On a complaint of SDM Ludhiana (West)-cum-Land Acquisition Officer Amrinder Singh Malhi, an FIR has been registered against the revenue officials concerned and proceedings to suspend them have also been initiated.

Giving more informtion, Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal said it had come to the notice of Malhi that when the land was acquired by the NHAI at Samrala and Ghulal in Ludhiana district, the names of Anil Kumar, son of Dharampal; Vinay Kumar, son of Nahar Singh; and Rajesh Kumar, son of Hukam Singh, were fraudulently added to the list of beneficiaries by making false entries in the assessment register and e-rolls.

Agrawal further stated it was found that payments of Rs 51.74 lakh and Rs 71.96 lakh was made to Anil Kumar. Similarly, payment of Rs 1.04 crore was made to Vinay Kumar while Rs 7.99 lakh was paid to Rajesh Kumar. However, when the fraudulent act came to notice, these payments were stopped.

The Deputy Commissioner said false entries in the assessment register and e-rolls had signatures of the patwari, kanugo and tehsildar concerned, on the basis of which payments were to be made. He disclosed that this fraud was committed in connivance of the Revenue Department as well as NHAI officials.

“An FIR in this regard has been registered at the Division Number 5 police station and further investigation has been initiated. The proceedings to suspend the Revenue Department officials have also been taken up,” he added.