Allotment of residential plots in Punjab under lens

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, July 29

In what could turn out to be a multi-crore scam, the allotment of residential plots under locally displaced persons’ (LDP) category in different Improvement Trusts is under the scanner of the Local Government Department.

Notably, the functioning of the Improvement Trusts is governed by the Local Government Department. On Thursday, the Vigilance Bureau had registered a case of “irregular allotment” of plots under the LDP category and other schemes to ineligible persons by Ludhiana Improvement Trust.

SMELLING A RAT

• Under the locally displaced persons’ (LDP) category, people whose land is acquired by the municipality are entitled for a plot at concessional rate under schemes floated by the respective improvement trusts
• The resolutions to allot plots under LDP category by different improvement trusts are sent to the Local Government headquarters in Chandigarh for approval
• A committee, constituted at the level of Local Government Department during previous Congress govt, failed to make much progress, but with change of guard, the AAP govt has now opened the cases, as it ‘involves politically connected people’
• Besides, Jalandhar and Ludhiana, the Local Government Department is said to be probing such cases in Improvement Trusts at Patiala, Bathinda and Amritsar as well

Another case of wrong allotment of a large number of plots under the LDP category in Jalandhar Improvement Trust has also been referred to the Vigilance Bureau.

Misutilisation of development funds worth over Rs 6 crore for the purchase of vehicles and for electronic gadgets is also under the scanner.

After seeking approval from Local Bodies Minister Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjer, it had been decided to refer the case to the Vigilance Bureau. Sources said, while forwarding the case to the Bureau, the Local Government Department had sought comments of the Deputy Commissioner-cum-officiating Chairman of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust as well.

The Deputy Commissioner has already submitted his report on the wrongdoing to the Secretary, Local Government. The The vigilance wing of the Local Government Department has also conducted a probe into the entire matter and given its findings to the department.

Based on the findings, the decision was taken to refer the matter to the Vigilance Bureau. In April this year, the Local Government got an FIR registered over 120 missing files that pertained to the allotment of the LDP category plots, besides those pertaining to non-construction fee and advance given to the Jalandhar MC staff.

A departmental probe was ordered into the complaints of grave irregularities in the allotment of residential plots under the LDP category in violation of government directions and remission of non-construction fee (NCF) of the plots, already allotted, but with no construction carried out for years.

The issue cropped up during the tenure of former Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had summoned the record of allotment of 133 plots under the locally displaced persons’ category of the Improvement Trust in Amritsar and Ludhiana in 2018.

He had pointed out that the plots had been allotted at very “nominal” rates. But later, these were sold at market rates to others, causing financial loss worth crores to the Improvement Trust.