Hotel coming up on plot linked to PSIEC scam under Punjab Vigilance Bureau lens

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, January 13

A day after the arrest of former Industries Minister Sunder Sham Arora in connection with the controversial Gulmohar Township case, fresh facts have come to light.

On visiting the site today, a team of Vigilance Bureau (VB) officials, accompanied by Arora, noticed certain inconsistencies and also found a hotel being constructed on one of the sold sites measuring 25 acres.

The Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) has told the VB that nothing wrong has been committed in the Gulmohar Township case in which IAS officer Neelima has been booked for alleged bifurcation of industrial plot and its saleto the real estate company.

The PSIEC in its reply to the state government and VB has categorically stated that the property is a freehold private property, and that the government has no right on it other than monitoring that the property is used for industrial purpose and to see that it follows the estate management rules.

Are the construction activity at the site, including construction of roads and providing basic amenities, in conformity with what has been approved on paper, the VB is learnt to have asked the PSIEC officials.

In 1984, PSIDC had allotted 25 acres to M/s Punjab Anand Lamp Industries Ltd. It was taken over by Philips India in 2002. In February 2021, a sale deed was executed between M/s Signify Innovations (formerly known as Philips India) and Gulmohar Township.

The reply sent by PSIEC to the state government and VB on the facts mentioned in the FIR against the IAS officer and others stated that there was nothing wrong and there was no loss to the government. But now, the VB is learnt to have raised fresh queries.

These include that the clause of sale deed in the event of bankruptcy of the company asks for surrendering the plot to PSIDC as the plot had allotted at concessional rates but how was it sold to M/s Signify Innovations?

The bifurcation policy approved by the government and Board of Directors of the PSIEC allows bifurcation in case of legal heirs, family disputes, in case of bankruptcy and the prior permission for RERA, Pollution Control Board and other government agencies is required before bifurcation plan is approved by authority concerned. But the plot was allegedly bifurcated.

Amenities like STP, sub-station, boundary wall, community centre, green park are required prior to approval of the building plans. Only one gate is allowed and on deposit of Rs 10,000, another gate is allowed. But in this case, six gates were allowed and there is no boundary wall.

Arora sent to judicial custody

• A court on Friday sent former minister Sunder Sham Arora to judicial custody in the PSIEC plot case. The VB took him to a site where a hotel is being constructed
• Arora was already in judicial custody in another case. Arora was brought on production warrant from Ropar and produced in Mohali court on January 12

Chief Secy to submit report today

• Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua will be submitting his report on the registration of an FIR in the PSIEC land bifurcation case to CM Bhagwant Mann on Saturday
• The report will deal only with the issue of whether the Vigilance Bureau overstepped and registered an FIR against 14 persons, including IAS officer Neelima
• Two days ago, VB chief Varinder Kumar had submitted four judgments that favoured registration of a case against a government official without seeking prior approval