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BDPO, 7 others booked
Illegal excavation of soil
Jalandhar, October 14
The Block Development Project Officer (BDPO), Bhogpur, and seven others, including a sarpanch of Sagranwali village, have been accused of illegally excavating soil from a chunk of village common land, causing revenue loss worth Rs 67 lakh to the state exchequer.

Arhtiyas block traffic
Tarn Taran, October 14
Arhtiyas (commission agents) of the Bhikhiwind grain market, 35 km from here, today blocked traffic on the Khemkaran-Amritsar road against the alleged indifferent attitude of the officials of different procurement agencies towards them. Sakattar Singh, president of the Arhtiyas Association, Bhikhwind, led the protest. He alleged that the officials of Punsup, Punjab Agro and Punjab State Ware House Corporation were having partial attitude in procuring paddy in the market. He alleged that the officials of the agencies were favouring some of the arhtiyas and ignoring others.

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BDPO, 7 others booked
Illegal excavation of soil
Bipin Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 14
The Block Development Project Officer (BDPO), Bhogpur, and seven others, including a sarpanch of Sagranwali village, have been accused of illegally excavating soil from a chunk of village common land, causing revenue loss worth Rs 67 lakh to the state exchequer.

The accused have been booked under various provisions of the Village Common Land Act 1961 and the Mines and Minerals (Regulation & Development) Act, 1957 on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In a civil writ petition filed by Jarnail Singh, a resident of the village, it was alleged that the block development and panchayat officials, in connivance with the sarpanch and other officials of the department, had auctioned the excavation of soil from 8 acres of the shamlat land to a bidder in violation of the Village Common Land Act and the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.

Taking a note to the petition, the high court had directed the district development and project officer (DDPO), Jalandhar, and the area BDPO investigate to the matter and file a report.

During investigation, the DDPO and his team found that Sewa Singh, a former BDPO, Bhogpur, in connivance with the village sarpanch, Hem Singh, and three panches - Parminder Kaur, Jaswinder Kaur and Balbir Singh- auctioned 8 acres of the village common land (shamlat) in violation of the norms. The land was auctioned in favour of Amandeep Singh, a contractor, for just Rs 3.34 lakh for lifting soil.

The investigating team also found Surti Ram, village development officer, and Harbansh Singh, an assistant engineer, involved in the illegal auctioning of the land.

DDPO SS Walia said the land was auctioned in violation of the norms in 2010 by the then BDPO of Bhogpur Sewa Singh and other officials of the department in connivance with the village sarpanch and panches. As per estimates, the department had to spend nearly Rs 67 lakh to refill the chunk of land from where the soil was lifted in just Rs 3,34,500, Walia claimed.

Arhtiyas block traffic
Our Correspondent

Tarn Taran, October 14
Arhtiyas (commission agents) of the Bhikhiwind grain market, 35 km from here, today blocked traffic on the Khemkaran-Amritsar road against the alleged indifferent attitude of the officials of different procurement agencies towards them.

Sakattar Singh, president of the Arhtiyas Association, Bhikhwind, led the protest. He alleged that the officials of Punsup, Punjab Agro and Punjab State Ware House Corporation were having partial attitude in procuring paddy in the market. He alleged that the officials of the agencies were favouring some of the arhtiyas and ignoring others.

He alleged that officials of procurement agencies were not giving gunny bags to some of the arhtiyas.

The traffic on the road remained disrupted and could be restored after Prof Virsa Singh Valtoha, Chief Parliamentary Secretary assured the arhtiyas of addressing their grievances.