JIT sends notices to 680 GGS Avenue residents again

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 24

Almost 17 years since they bought plots in the 94.5 acre Guru Gobind Singh Avenue scheme, the owners of nearly 680 plot holders have got fresh notices from the Jalandhar Improvement Trust to make a payment of Rs 8,000 per marla as enhancement charges.

The residents, who had last got these notices in 2014 and had been sitting silently over the matter, are in for a shock again.

Only those houses which were allotted at fixed rates on the basis of a draw have been asked to make the payment while nearly 250 residents, who had purchased the property by way of auction at a premium, have been exempted from making any additional payment.

The Trust had in September 2014 lost the case in Supreme Court to the farmers, who were the original owners and had been seeking higher compensation.

Executive Officer Arvind Sharma said the Trust had to pay an amount of Rs 15 crore soon after but the recoveries had not been made. “I have been issuing about 100 notices daily for the last seven days. About 20 per cent of the residents have paid but the remaining 80 per cent are a bit adamant.

President of Guru Gobind Singh Avenue Welfare Society Rajan Gupta makes his point, “For the last three years, we have been asking the JIT officials as to how they have calculated the enhancement charges. We have even asked for the same via RTI and have been told that there is no sheet as such. How can we all of a sudden pay such a huge amount? Many property owners have died while some are pensioners and cannot afford to make the payment.”

“The JIT did not represent the case well in the court owing to which they were being penalised now. The Trust itself has gone bankrupt and this is how it is earning its income,” said Gupta.

EO meets minister

The Executive Officer responded by saying, “How will we end our liabilities if we do not make the recoveries?” Sharma had reportedly also met Local Bodies Minister Navjot Sidhu in this regard on May 18 and sought financial support over the poor financial condition of the Trust. “The minister has suggested that we make all the due recoveries, which we have begun doing,” the EO says.

JIT has Rs 113 crore outstanding

The JIT had sought a loan of Rs 173 crore from the Punjab National Bank in 2011 for paying the amount for acquisition of land for Surya Enclave Extension Scheme.

The JIT is yet to pay up a balance of Rs 113 crore to the bank and the scheme was declared a non-performing asset at one point of time due to delay in payments. The JIT is now due to pay Rs 13 crore on June 30 and another instalment of the same amount on December 30.

The Trust has also mortgaged many of its prime properties including Guru Gobind Singh Stadium with the banks.