Pathankot land scam or mining scam? Of 100 acres given by ex-DDPO, 45 acres rich in mining material

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, August 6

The Pathankot land scam is turning out to be a big mining scam also. A large part of the 100 acre patch, which ADC Pathankot gave to private individuals just a day before his retirement, is rich in mining material from which the government could have generated revenue of several crores annually.

As per the local officials of the Panchayat Department, the entire patch of 100 acres of panchayat land of Gol village of Narot Jaimal Singh in Pathankot falls on the banks of the Ravi. Out of that, 45-acre land is rich in mining material.

Even in the revenue record, the nature of part of the land is described as ‘dariya-burd’ (land drowned or cut away by a flooded river). Out of this land, 15 acre is right on the riverbed.

District Development and Panchayat Officer, Pathankot, Yudhvir Singh confirmed that the area is rich in mining material.

According to local officials, as per a rough estimate, Rs 2 crore could be fetched per acre annually from mining. Thus, the government could have generated Rs 90 crore annually from mining on these 45 acres. The rest of the land is kept for cultivation.

A source in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats who wished not to be quoted said that the real issue in these 100 acres was not land, but mining.

“This patch of land on the bank of the Ravi is super rich in mining material, including sand and gravel. So the land was a small aspect in this entire game,” he said.

That is why the party, which in connivance with ADC Kuldeep Singh managed to restore the 92-acre land in its name, was well aware of the value of mining material lying on the land. That is why soon after getting a favourable order from ADC Kuldeep Singh, they quickly moved an application with local authorities for permission to start mining on the 100 acres.

In the news report ‘On retirement eve, ADC gives village’s 100 acres to individuals’, The Tribune had on July 19 highlighted how DDPO Kuldeep Singh, who was holding additional charge as ADC, had ordered to restore around 100 acres of panchayat land of Gol village of Narot Jaimal Singh in Pathankot district to some individuals a day before his retirement.

Taking cognisance of the report, Chief Secretary Anurag Verma had termed the matter “very serious” and ordered the Rural Development and Panchayats Department to complete a probe by July 31. Following that, he had ordered to register an FIR against DDPO (who was officiating as ADC) Kuldeep Singh.

Land could have fetched Rs 90 crore a year

According to local officials, Rs 2 crore could have been fetched per acre annually from mining. Thus, the government could have generated Rs 90 crore annually from mining on these 45 acres.