Encroachers occupying Sunam land worth Rs 20 crore: Cong leader

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, January 13

In “connivance” with senior officials of various departments, some influential persons have encroached upon panchayat lands worth crores of rupees for the last many years in the Sunam constituency.

A team of Sunam Congress leaders led by their halqa incharge Daman Thind Bajwa has prepared a detailed report and submitted it to the SDM for action and announced to expose more members of the land mafia in her constituency.

In 2006, after the division of Morawali village, its 22 acres of panchayat land was divided into Bishanpura, Singhpura, Tibbi Ravidas Pura, Bakhtaur Nagar and Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar as per the population of these villages. But to date, Bishanpura and Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar have not started getting any income from their lands as the panchayat authorities are unaware about the exact location of pieces of their lands.

“As many as 11 acres worth Rs11 crore of the five villages have been missing as they have either been mixed with private land by their owners or encroached upon by private persons in connivance with Panchayat and Revenue Department officials,” said Bajwa while showing documents.

A few persons have been running a hot mixture plant on the land in Singhpura village for the last many years by paying a meagre annual lease with the help of officials concerned.

“A few persons are running a hot mixture plant on panchayat land and they have been changing the name of lessee every year. Apart from it, a big chunk of land located near the Sunam rest house has been under illegal possession. Leaders of the SAD, Congress and other parties have been supporting the encroachers,” Bajwa said.

She said apart from removing encroachment from Sunam city, she had set a target to get all encroachments removed from panchayat lands of all villages of her constituency.

“CM Capt Amarinder Singh has made it clear that panchayats must have the possession of their land and I am following his directions. During 22 days of investigation, we have detected encroached land worth Rs20 crore and I will send a detailed report to the senior authorities with all evidence for further action,” she added.

Sunam SDM Manjit Kaur confirmed panchayat land could only be used for agriculture purposes. “We will conduct an investigation and take action against encroachers,” she added.

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