Looking back 2023: AIT in eye of storm as Law Officer booked, projects in limbo

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, December 29

The Punjab Government appointed senior AAP leader Ashok Talwar as the Chairman of Amritsar Improvement Trust on January 12. However, the appointment letter was issued on April 3, after considerable delay. The new chairman has, however, failed to live up to the expectations of the residents in providing better civic amenities in localities managed by the Improvement Trust. Posh localities including Ranjit Avenue, New Amritsar, GTB Nagar and several market complexes are being managed by the AIT. While residential areas have been facing poor sanitation and infrastructure related issues, commercial areas such as Nehru Shopping Complex and District Shopping Complex are facing problems like encroachment, poor upkeep, inadequate urinals and littering. The footpaths at Ranjit Avenue have been encroached upon by vendors but the AIT seems helpless.

Several development works still in limbo

Several development works announced by the AIT in the past are in limbo. The shops and SCOs allotted in New Amritsar market two years back have not been developed due to scarcity of funds. Hundreds of flats raised for the low income group (LIG) under the 211-acre Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar scheme (better known as the Mall Mandi Scheme) are in a shambles. The apathy of Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) led to the accumulation of garbage and dumping of refuse over these vital surface infrastructure. However, the AIT gave Rs 50 crore to the Jalandhar Improvement Trust last year.

Ownership rights after 50yrs of allotment by AIT

Around 50 years after the allotment of properties, the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) finally started transfer of the ownership rights (intkal) to the beneficiaries of various township schemes under a special campaign in May 2023. Since the 1970s, the process of acquiring land for developing the townships and allotment of properties had started in the city. Since then, the process of transferring the ownership rights was pending. A large number of residential and commercial localities have been developed by the Amritsar Improvement Trust during the past five decades. Ironically, the beneficiaries of various town planning schemes did not get the necessary documents relating to ownership rights from the AIT. Due to negligence on the part of AIT, the beneficiaries face problems regarding property ownership. Several disputes were being reported regarding the ownership of these properties.

Former AIT Chairman Dinesh Bassi gets bail

The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted a regular bail to Amritsar Improvement Trust Chairman Dinesh Bassi in a corruption case in February. A case was registered against Bassi in July 2022 for criminal breach of trust and other offences under Sections 409, 201 and 120-B of the IPC and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

AIT Law Officer Gautam Majithia booked by VB

The Vigilance Bureau (VB) booked Gautam Majithia, an advocate of the Improvement Trust, Amritsar, for accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh in lieu of getting the land acquisition compensation released. Majithia had been booked on the complaint of Jatinder Singh, a resident of Pratap Avenue, Amritsar. Majithia had reportedly demanded Rs 20 lakh for release of the additional compensation of 20 bigha acquired by the Improvement Trust on March 25, 2022. A court had ordered the release of 20 per cent compensation for the land to the complainant. When Jatinder Singh approached the advocate, he demanded Rs 20 lakh to get it released, of which he already had taken Rs 8 lakh as bribe.