Chandigarh, July 24
A veritable who’s who of Punjab politics and babudom has land in Chandigarh’s periphery, including the area around Mullanpur sought to be rechristened as New Chandigarh by the Punjab Government. No less than 60 “influential persons”, including Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and state Director-General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini, have properties in Chandigarh’s periphery.

Saini’s property is in Kansal village, less than 10 minutes drive from Mullanpur, to be launched by the Punjab Government as the New Chandigarh. It must be clarified that the properties were purchased years before the Punjab Government’s move to rechristen Mullanpur as New Chandigarh.

Real estate experts say that the establishment of a major new city in the environs is bound to send the prices of these properties spiralling. This, by no means, suggests that the Government is developing naqli Chandigarh to profit its elite. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who has land in the periphery, has already rubbished the allegations by saying his property is not even a part of New Chandigarh.

In April 2012, the Punjab Government had itself admitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court that 60 high-ranking officers were having land in Chandigarh’s periphery. Punjab Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh had told the high court that as per information collected and revenue record available, no public land was under illegal occupation of these 60 high-ups.

Taking up the matter, the high court in May last year had then referred the list to the Justice Kuldip Singh panel to “find out the source and the status of the land being held by them”.

The report said Punjab Election Commissioner Shivinder Singh Brar has 31 kanal and 17 marlas; state DGP Sumedh Singh Saini has 32 kanal and Sonam Kumar, son of Punjab ex-Governor BKN Chhiber, has 23 kanal and 19 marlas.

The panel also referred to a previous status report submitted to the high court by IPS officer Chander Sekhar. He mentioned that the Punjabi Cooperative House Building Society Ltd, having 95 politicians, legislators and others as its members, sold 18 kanal 19 marlas in the area to Tata Housing Development Corporation (THDC) Ltd. The society had purchased 21.2 acres, including 18 kanal 19 marlas, in 2003 for Rs 8.19 crore (approximately) and sold it to Tata for Rs 96.59 crore (approximately).

“Similarly, the Working Women Welfare Society, the Punjabi House Building Society, the Kansal Rural House Building Society, the Tribune Employees and Friends’ Welfare Society and the Defence Services Cooperative Society also sold their share of the Kansal land in question to the THDC,” the panel stated.

(It is clarified that The Tribune Employees and Friends Cooperative Group Housing Society has no connection with the The Tribune Group of Newspapers. The Tribune Trust had never in any way accepted, permitted or licenced the use of The Tribune name for any such society nor for that matter any other housing colony in Punjab and Haryana claiming to belong to the Tribune Group of Newspapers. The only housing colony developed by The Tribune Trust is in Sector 29 in Chandigarh).

Mirzapur, a small hamlet located to the north of Chandigarh adjacent to Mullanpur Garibdas, is also an abode of VIPs. Buyers of land there include a Congress former minister, MLA and MP late Lachhman Singh Kalka and his sons Bhagat Singh and Gajinder Singh. They purchased 157 acres and 6 kanals. Minister Kalka is no more.

The panel also mentions the names and details of other VIPs with land in Chandigarh’s periphery though not necessarily near Mullanpur. The development of Mullanpur as New Chandigarh has no direct effect on their land. The only correlation that can possibly be drawn is that the launch of Mullanpur shows the seriousness of the government to develop Chandigarh’s periphery.

They are retired IAS officer VK Khanna (21 acres); retired Chief Engineer Kamaljit Singh (6 acres); retired IPS officer Dharam Singh Mohi and his son (6 acres); retired IAS officer Ajit Singh Chatha (9 acres); and Abhey Singh Jagat, son of retired DGP Gurbachan Jagat, and his family (2.5 acre).

The list also mentions Sukhbir Singh Badal. He is shown to own 30 kanal and 8 marlas of agricultural land in Lohgarh village in Dera Bassi tehsil. Besides him, the Kairon family owns 106 bigha and 7 biswa (22 acres, 1 kanal and 5 marlas) in the revenue estate of Chatt village. Also, Manjit Kaur, wife of Barnala MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon is the owner of 39 bighas in Kishanpura village.