Nangal fertiliser unit's 15-acre land vanishes from records

About 15.25 acres of Punjab National Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (PNFC), a closed unit of Punjab State Infrastructure Development Corporation (PSIDC) in Nangal town of Ropar district, have gone missing.

In a letter to the SDM Nangal, dated March 22, by the liquidator appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for PNFC, a copy of which is available with The Tribune, it has been stated that as per the jamabandi (revenue records) of 2008-09, the PNFC unit had about 111 acres land. However, as per the jamabandi of 2018-19, 112 kanals (which comes to about 15.25 acres) was lesser at the spot.

Sources here said that the fact that about 15.25 acres land of the PNFC was missing came to fore after the liquidator got the land measured from revenue officials of Nangal in order to liquidate the project as per the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The sources said that the previous SDM Nangal had marked an inquiry into the missing land of the PNFC.

The issue has raised concerns as the value of the land of the PNFC unit, located on National Highway 503, as per the government rates was over Rs 3 crore per acre.

Deputy Commissioner Ropar Varjeet Singh Walia said the revenue officials would conduct an inquiry into the query raised by the liquidator for the PNFC.

The sources said the missing land of the PNFC might have been encroached by adjoining industrial units or people or there might be anomaly in revenue records.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered the closure and liquidation of the unit on August 28, 2001. In 2016, under the supervision of the liquidator, the scrap in the unit was sold for Rs 17.92 crore. The liquidator also got a compensation of Rs 7.50 crore for about 3 acres land of unit which was acquired for the construction of a railway overbridge in the area. Out of that Rs 7.50 crore, the workers were paid 40 per cent of their dues and are still waiting 60 per cent of the dues for the past 26 years.

On May 23, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the liquidator to expedite the sale of the land of the PNFC and pay the dues of the employees. However, now it has been found that 15.25 acres land of the unit is missing in the revenue records. The revenue officials would have to settle the issue before the land of the unit could be liquidated.