Punjab Govt may recover stuck Rs 34 cr from allottees in Amritsar

The Punjab Government, in a mission mode to unlock the value of unutilised government land to earn much-needed revenue for funding its schemes, is likely to re-fix instalments of the “elite” allottees of residential plots in Canal Colony, Amritsar, and recover dues.

Official sources have told The Tribune that the matter is to come up in a meeting of the Empowered Committee of Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Government Scheme (OUVGL) scheduled for the next week. The government hopes to recover Rs 34.15 crore from those who were allotted plots on the 24.24 acres of Canal Colony, located next to the Cantonment Area in Amritsar.

The committee is to consider whether the interest to be charged for the delayed payment is to be waived and if the instalment schedule from these allottees needs to be refixed.

This land, which once housed the original British-era quarters, was transferred to Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) in April 2010. As many as 86 residential plots, 54 SCOs, one multi-use site and petrol pump site each were carved out. Over the next few years, 76 residential plots were sold in the colony. But the allottees, after paying just 25 per cent of the cost of plot, refused to pay the remaining amount, citing lack of civic amenities at these plots.

Between 2015 and 2019, several petitions were filed in court as the dispute between the allottees and the Amritsar Development Authority of PUDA escalated. PUDA, on the orders of the court, had initially said that there would be no change in schedule of instalments and interest would be charged on the second instalment due on March 2015.

However now, with pressure mounting on the government to unlock the value of all such lands being sold under OUVGL Scheme, the government could bring in a deal for allottees that will help it realise this stuck revenue immediately.