Kiratpur Sahib: Shops built on land 'listed' under PLPA

Kiratpur Sahib, September 4

A local Congress leader is under scanner for allegedly constructing shops on a piece of land falling under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA).

Ropar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Harjinder Singh said the department was going to sue the offenders identified as Congress leader Himanshu Tandon, Tajinder Pal Singh, Dalbir Singh and Gagandeep Singh.

“Besides chargesheeting forest guard Paramjit Singh, I have written to the higher authorities for appropriate action against Forest Block Officer Narinder Preet Singh and Range Officer Baljinder Singh for lapses on their part,” said the DFO.

Claiming it to be political vendetta, Tandon said he had constructed the shops only after procuring required permissions and getting the drawings approved from the Municipal Council. Interestingly, Tandon and wife of Tajinder Pal Singh are councillors from Kiratpur Sahib.

The DFO said the department had received complaints regarding alleged illegal construction along the Kiratpur Sahib-Manali national highway. When investigated, it was found that the work on four double-storey shops was in progress on the land in violation of PLPA rules. He also alleged that Municipal Council officials didn’t bother to get any required information from the Forest Department regarding the status of the land before approving the building plan.

A report had been prepared and a case would be filed in a court against the property owners in coming days, he added. The DFO further said Tandon was also involved in constructing another such property in a nearby area.

Meanwhile, Forest Department officials have put a barbed wire on the entrance of the property as the land in front of it belongs to the government, he added.

Tandon said he was a Congress leader and it was a case of political vendetta. He claimed that he had all the documents issued by the Forest and Revenue Departments to prove that the construction was carried out only on the delisted area and after approval of the authorities concerned.