Bidder occupying property by paying part sum since 2001 as AIT fails to act

The Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) has failed to take possession of a residential property, occupied by a bidder after paying just a small amount, at Sector-C in Ranjit Avenue since 2001.

The AIT Chairman had issued directions to take possession of the property on January 6, 2023 but officials claimed that despite writing to the police department, they did not get police protection to get back the possession of the property. The AIT has written several letters to the Police Commissioner in this regard during the past two years. An RTI activist Prabhjot Singh, who raised the issue, says he found the delay in taking action quite intriguing.

According to records, the Amritsar Improvement Trust allotted a residential plot of 250 square yard under the Ajnala Road Scheme to a successful bidder for Rs 4,600 per square yard on August 29, 2001. The allotment letter was issued after receiving 15 per cent of the total payment. The buyer was supposed to pay 10 per cent more 30 days after getting the allotment letter, but he didn’t pay anything.

Prabhjot Singh, an RTI and social activist, filed an application under the Right to Information Act and got details of the case in March 2010. The AIT had then asked the buyer to pay the pending amount of Rs 26.12 lakh on August 5, 2010. When he didn’t respond, the AIT passed a proposal to cancel the allotment and seize the deposited amount on November 25, 2010. Meanwhile, the buyer moved court against the decision. The court had ordered to consider the case sympathetically and asked the buyer to pay the dues in February 2011. The buyer paid 50 per cent of the pending amount, i.e., Rs13.06 lakh in April 2011.

Finally, the Amritsar Improvement Trust led by Harpreet Singh Sudan, then Deputy Commissioner-cum- Chairman, Amritsar Improvement Trust, passed a resolution regarding taking possession, but no action has been taken till date.

Rajbir Singh, Executive Engineer, Amritsar Improvement Trust, said, “We have written around 10 times to the authorities to deploy a duty magistrate and provide police force to execute the orders. In case of residential property, we visit in the presence of the duty magistrate only. The authorities are lingering over the matter but we will put up the matter again.”