Punjab Govt cancels land lease of ex-minister Balbir Singh Sidhu’s NGO

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, July 9

Former Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu’s dream to build a banquet hall on the panchayat land has been cut short after the state government cancelled the 33-year lease of 10 acres, which were given to the Bal Gopal Gau Basera Welfare Society.

Will move court

It is political vendetta. The NGO had deposited the money. We will move court. Balbir Sidhu, Ex-minister

The NGO was registered in Sidhu and his brother’s name, who had allegedly usurped the panchyat land in Balongi village worth Rs 100 crore in the garb of building a gaushala. However, going by the record of the NGO, the subsequent plan was to build a banquet hall.

As per the orders issued on Wednesday by the Financial Commissioner Rural Development and Panchayats, Seema Jain, the lease has been cancelled as the NGO failed to deposit annual fee. Jain acted on a report sent by the BDPO, Mohali.

As per the report, the NGO was given land on annual lease of Rs 25,000 per acre in March 2020. However, the NGO had deposited Rs 2.62 lakh as lease money in the bank account of Balongi gram panchayat.

The report stated that the NGO failed to deposit the complete amount by April, which was a violation of the terms and conditions of the agreement.

Jain directed the district authorities to recover the remaining lease amount from the NGO and also take up the issue with the Revenue Department to restore the land back in the panchayat’s name.

The Financial Commissioner directed the officials to act in a time-bound manner or disciplinary action would be initiated against them.

The former minister, who is in BJP now, was the NGO president and it was registered on his residential address in Mohali. Though Sidhu had been claiming there would be no other activity except keeping stray cattle on the panchayat land, the NGO had passed a resolution to construct a banquet hall there.

Under the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961, there’s no provision to build religious establishment on the panchayat land.

Satnam Daun, a social activist, who had highlighted this issue, said, “The cancellation order is weak. The lease should have been cancelled on the ground of violation of the allotment process instead of not paying the lease fee.” He alleged that the weak order would help the NGO to get relief from the court.

When contacted, Sidhu said, “It is political vendetta. The NGO had deposited the money. If there was a delay in depositing the money, the government could have imposed late fee. We will move court against the government’s order.”

‘Banquet hall on pretext of gaushala’

• The NGO, Bal Gopal Gau Basera Welfare Society, was registered in the name of former Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and his brother
• The NGO was given 10 acres worth Rs 100 crore in Balongi village on lease for 33 years to construct a gaushala
• Later, NGO Bal Gopal Gau Basera Welfare Society passed a resolution to construct a banquet hall on the prime land; the former minister was the NGO president