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Tribune Impact
Patiala DC’s orders to be reviewed
Allowing sale of shamlat land
Chitleen K. Sethi
Tribune News Service

Mohali, November 18
The Punjab government has decided to review a series of orders passed by D.S. Grewal deputy commissioner, Patiala when he was joint development commissioner (rural development). Grewal had, during his tenure passed more than 50 orders allowing division and subsequent sale of ‘shamlat’ (common land).

The Tribune highlighted the matter on September 7 following which Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had asked financial commissioner (revenue) Romila Dubey to inquire and file a report. Files of 59 orders passed by Grewal during the period he was posted joint commissioner development exercising the powers of commissioner were called for by the FCR’s office. She also asked for the orders of the collectors against which appeals were filed. “The report has been submitted to the chief secretary,” said Dubey.

Chief secretary Ramesh Inder Singh said the report had been shown to the Chief Minister who has asked Grewal for an explanation. “We have further advised the departments concerned to file appeals against the orders passed by him and other officers where decisions were taken against the panchayats,” he said.

The Tribune story had highlighted the land mafia at various places was grabbing shamlat land worth crores across Punjab in connivance with government officials. In many cases misuse of authority and misinterpretation of rules by officials had been discovered.

Control of the shamlat land vests in the gram panchayat and except in certain cases, this land cannot be divided and sold. Instances of grabbing of shamlat land have multiplied in areas where land prices have gone up. At many places the gram panchayats and those claiming ownership of the land are pitched in legal battles.

Seized of the problem the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats has now undertaken identification of the shamlat estate in Punjab to arrest its division and loot. Also part of the exercise is the detection of all cases where this land was divided and sold following orders of government officials.