Hoshiarpur Land Scam: PWD calls for in-depth probe, recovery of excess compensation

Jalandhar, April 11

Even as the Ludhiana court last week rejected the closure report filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau into the Hoshiarpur land scam and raised 13 points on which the matter needs to be investigated in depth, a similar report by Additional Secretary, PWD, with recommendation for a more thorough investigation on 10 points and recovery of excess compensation, has also been put up before the state Financial Commissioner, Revenue, recently.

The matter pertains to the four-laning project of Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road in which excess amount had been paid to people during the acquisition process. In the report, it has been observed that more investigation was required into the loss suffered by the state exchequer due to the excessive compensation paid on account of illegally done change in type of land and wrong payment of compensation to land owners who came into ownership on the basis of sale deeds registered after the issuance of declaration under Section 3 (D) of the NH Act .

The report mentioned that the previous two committees had not distinctly determined as to how many sale-purchase transactions were registered during the period between the date of issuance of notifications under Sections 3 (A) and 3 (D) of the NH Act and after the issuance of notification under 3 (D). The quantum of area involved in sale-purchase deeds during this period also needs to be assessed and legal options need to be examined for the recovery of compensation paid unlawfully, it reads.

The report calls for a probe into the quantum of money released in excess to the owners as 53 kanals and 13 marlas of land was wrongly acquired in Bhagpur and Pawal villages outside the layout plan. It also mentions that an additional 52 kanals and two marlas are required to be acquired as per the plan. It has directed a committee headed by the Hoshiarpur DC to provide a legally tenable course of action to effect any exchange of land.

The report mentions that the VB needs to be promptly apprised of the facts that in Khwaspur, Dagana Khurd and Dagana Kalan, the nature of land was changed from agriculture to commercial and residential colonies even after 3D notification. “The land owners were not having any CLU and colonies were unapproved without having any NOC from the town planning department. No sales transactions, no arrangement for lighting, water, sewer access from main road had been taken and thus Rs 58 crore in excess payment had been made to wrong beneficiaries,” it was found.

The PWD report also mentions that the Enforcement Directorate, which too is probing the case for the alleged violation of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, needs to be apprised of the facts regarding how the accused beneficiaries, including Parteek Gupta, Pradeep Gupta, HS Gill, Jaswinder Pal Singh, Satwinder Pal and Avtar S Johal, started purchasing agricultural land just before the process of acquisition and applied for issuance of variation certificates to change its description for a better compensation.

Surplus amount paid during acquisition

The matter pertains to the four-laning project of the 38-km stretch of Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road in which excess amount had been paid to people during the acquisition process, many of them being illegal beneficiaries. In the report, it has been observed that more investigation was required into the loss suffered by the state exchequer due to the excessive compensation paid