Chandigarh, December 3
The Punjab Government has been again put in the dock by the Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) in connection with a multi-crore mega
project. The general secretary of the SAD, Mr Sukhbir Badal, today produced documents to prove that the ruling Congress regime had passed on unprecedented benefits to a private builder at Mohali in allowing him a residential and commercial complex.
The builder in turn made nearly Rs 1,500 crore from members of the public while the state lost hundreds of crores of rupees by way of revenue, alleged Mr Badal. The Punjab Government had created circumstances to virtually push farmers into a corner which forced them to sell off their lands at throwaway prices to the builder, Janta Land Promoters Limited (JLPL). The JLPL then sold off the same land as residential plots and commercial shops to members of the public at the prevailing market price, he claimed.
Mr Badal based his allegations on the documents, which he said were copies of the original record of the Punjab Government. Addressing a press
conference, he alleged that the entire deal was executed at the behest of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to suit the JLPL, owned by one Mr Kulwant Singh. He demanded a CBI inquiry and the removal of the Chief Minister. However, he avoided questions as to what the SAD would do about the project in case it was voted to power.
Narrating the sequence of events, Mr Badal said originally, as per the master plan of Mohali, an area of 120 acres was meant for a public park in Sector 91, Mohali. The former Housing
Development Minister, Mr Raghunath Sahay Puri, allowed the diversion of this land for a residential and commercial complex floated by the JLPL by changing the land use. The bureaucracy had raised serious objections to the entire deal.
In the year 2003, the Chief Administrator, PUDA, had rejected the application of the JLPL seeking change of land use to set up a residential colony. The Secretary, Housing, also rejected the application and pointed out that the JLPL had not even purchased the land for which the “change of land use” was being sought.
Mr Badal alleged that the change was allowed at the behest of the Chief Minister. Permission was given to change the use of the land exclusively for the JLPL and any other party, or even farmers who owned the land. Also the JLPL was asked to purchase the land from the farmers within a specified timeframe to avail the benefit of the change in land use. This meant, the farmers, who owned the 120 acres of land in Sector 91, had no option but to sell it off to the JLPL. The company purchased the land at Rs 8 lakh per acre which amounted to Rs 10 crore. The minister’s order also said “retention of the land for public park may turn out to be costly proposition for the state government and is an unaffordable luxury”.
When asked how he had arrived at this figure of Rs 10 crore, Mr Badal produced a copy of the balance sheet of the company which showed that it had spent that much amount on the purchase of land. On an average the company had sold the land for Rs 15,000 per square yard to buyers which translated into Rs 1,500 crore, he claimed.
Despite the minister’s
order, PUDA stood its ground and refused a “colonisation licence” to the JLPL saying about 12 acres of the land was part of a forest. The then FCR, Ms Rupan Deol Bajaj, upheld the order of PUDA. The JLPL then chose to apply for approval of a housing and industrial project before the empowered committee on mega projects headed by the Chief Minister. Here also the company was given unusual benefits, alleged Mr Badal.
The JLPL owned two non-contiguous pieces of land measuring 180 acres in Sector 82 and 120 acres in Sector 91, respectively. The industrial policy did not allow that non-contiguous lands could be treated as a single unit to get benefits of an industrial park. However, the company was allowed that Sector 91 be developed as a residential-cum-commercial area while Sector 82 be developed as an industrial area to enjoy a waiver of stamp duty on the sale of plots. A rider was imposed. It said the company would develop the industrial area first and then only move on to the residential
project, Mr Badal alleged. The Director, Industries, objected to this in January this year, however, no action .
Posing questions Mr Badal asked:“ Why did the Chief Minister give concessions to the JLPL under industrial parks even when it did not qualify? And why did the Chief Minister okay the project despite strong objections from PUDA and the FCR on granting a colonisation licence.
Also, why were exclusive rights given to the JLPL for change of land use while depriving the farmers to sell it in the open market?’’
