JIT sits tight as SAD, BJP don’t pay up

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 3

Charity begins at home and the ruling SAD-BJP combine is no exception. The Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) allotted the partners two prime pieces of land for setting up party offices four years ago at one-fourth the rates. Moreover, the registries were also executed at concessional rates. Now, the trust has failed to impose charges on either party for not constructing anything on the properties.

In September 2011, the trust allotted two plots of four kanals each to the BJP and the SAD at one-fourth of the reserve price. While the BJP was handed over a plot in Surya Enclave for Rs 56 lakh (Rs 70,000 a marla), the SAD (urban) was allotted the land in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar on GT Road for just Rs 20 lakh (Rs 25,000 a marla).

The reserve price of the plots then stood at Rs 2.24 crore and Rs 80 lakh. The decision had been taken during the tenure of chairman Baljit Neelamahal, a SAD leader.

Though the BJP held its ground breaking ceremony at the site over a year ago, the work has not yet started. The SAD has failed to start construction work.

District president SAD Gurcharan Singh Channi said, “We managed to avail ourselves of a local bodies department’s scheme. We got our registries executed at allotment rates and saved about Rs 13 lakh for the party. The registry which would have cost us Rs 15-16 lakh was executed at just Rs 2.5 lakh.” Subhash Sood, BJP district president, too said the registry for the BJP office was executed at concessional rates.

As per the trust norms, any allottee who does not construct a usable dwelling in three years at the site has to pay up charges of Rs 150 per sq yard per year. Therefore, the parties owe the trust Rs 3 lakh per year each.

Trust chairman Praneet Bhardwaj said he was not aware about any pending dues. “I joined here recently and I will look into the matter,” he said.