Now, panchayat land sale by ex-Congress minister Tript Bajwa under scanner

Tribune News Service

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, June 11

Days after the arrest of former minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the AAP government has accused former Congress minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa of wrongdoing and causing a loss of Rs 28 crore to the exchequer by giving nod to the sale of panchayat land located on the holy city’s outskirt just a day after his government lost the Assembly election.

Addressing mediapersons here on Saturday, Rural Development Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal claimed Tript allowed sale of panchayat land at Bhagtupura village on the GT Road at a time the model code of conduct was in force.

Announcing a probe into the sale of the land, the minister said the panchayat pathways and water channels were creating a hindrance to an adjoining colony, spread over 150 acres. He said an Akali sarpanch had moved a resolution for sale in 2015. The former Congress minister allegedly connived with the coloniser and allowed the sale of pathways and water channels at meagre Rs 43 lakh per acre, whereas the market rate was Rs 7.5 crore, he claimed, adding he did not rule out connivance of officials.

The minister said water channels and pathways together constituted 32 kanal and 16 marlas, adding due to the sale, the government suffered a loss of Rs 28 crore. He claimed Tript had signed the file on March 11, a day after the Congress suffered a defeat (on March 10).

He said a three-member team, including Joint Development Commissioner Amit Kumar; Assistant Director, Rural Development, Sarabjit Singh and senior law officer Joharinder Singh Ahluwalia would conduct a probe into the matter.

The minister said all colonies developed in the past 15 years would be scrutinised and government pathways would be cleared. The government had so far freed 5,500 acres of panchayat land from illegal occupation.

This is the same piece of land over which allegations were made against Dhaliwal that he had sold panchayat land. When the matter was investigated, in a preliminary probe it became clear the file was signed by the Congress ex-minister, Dhaliwal stated.

He pointed out the proposal for 41 acres was put up in 2015, when the Akali government was in power. However, when the land was registered in March 2022, it had only 38 acres, causing a loss of Rs 28 crore to the government.

Former Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tript Bajwa at a media briefing in the evening denied the allegations. Terming it a diversionary tactic by the AAP government, he challenged Dhaliwal to reject the registry and sell the land in the open market. He added the land could not even fetch a price of Rs 10 crore.

He said the value of the land was fixed by a high-powered committee that did not contain officials even from his department.

He said it was wrong on part of Dhaliwal to say the panchayat land must be sold within six months of the rate fixing by the committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner. He said the rule was only for leasing of panchayat land for 33 years. He said it was a land for roads and ditches that was in the middle of a private residential project which had no other buyer.

Tript claimed there was no wrongdoing in clearing the file on the last day of his ministry. He said he had accepted the recommendation made by the subordinate officer of the department to the secretary.

He refuted the allegation of the minister that the file was taken out as per the applicable code of conduct when in fact the poll code was removed on March 11.

Former minister counters Charges

Dhaliwal: Sale of panchayat land allowed when poll code was in force i.e. on March 11

Dhaliwal: Pathways & water channels sold at just Rs 43L/acre, against market rate of Rs 7.5 crore

Dhaliwal: All colonies developed in 15 years will be scrutinised & govt pathways will be cleared

Tript: No wrongdoing in clearing file on last day of ministry. Code was removed on March 11

Tript: Value of land fixed by a high-powered panel that didn’t have officials from my dept

Tript: A diversionary tactic to win the bypoll by claiming to have started a crusade against graft

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