Panchayat Land Scam: Vigilance Bureau seeks nod to prosecute 2 ex-IAS officers

Tribune News Service

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, December 8

The Vigilance Bureau has asked for sanction to prosecute two former IAS officers in the Rs 40-crore land scam at Jehurheri village in Mohali.

As many as 36 acres of the village common land was acquired for the airport and the panchayat got Rs 54.17 crore as compensation for its land. However, the two IAS officers, in connivance with other officials, gave large chunk money to individuals instead of the panchayat. One of these officers served as the Joint Development Commissioner and other as the Director Rural Development and Panchayats in the same department.

Sources revealed that the modus operandi of these officials was that they asked the bogus beneficiaries to open the accounts and then immediately withdraw the money from those accounts.

The panchayat was supposed to buy alternative land with the money they received in compensation. However, the panchayat in connivance with officials of the department siphoned off crores by buying the land at inflated rates.

The village panchayat purchased 36-acre agricultural land for Rs 55 lakh per acre in Zirakpur. However, prevailing market rate was around Rs 15 lakh per acre. The land was purchased without getting permission from the competent authority.

The sources in the government revealed that around two months back, the bureau had written to the Department of Personnel for permission to prosecute the two IAS officers. However, the permission is yet to be given by the department.

In June 2017, the then Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, had ordered a probe. Following that in 2018, the Vigilance Bureau registered a case under Sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 471 and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Mansa ADC Gurvinder Singh Sarao, BDPO Malvinder Singh, Panchayat Officers Ravinder Singh, Gurpal Singh, Surinder Singh, Mohammad Sohel, Darshan Singh, Swarn Singh, Darshan Singh and others on February 20.

Bureaucrats gave money to individuals

• As many as 36 acres of the village common land was acquired for the airport, for which the Jehurheri village panchayat got Rs 54.17 crore as compensation for its land
• However, the two IAS officers gave large chunk money to individuals instead of the panchayat
• One of these officers served as the Joint Development Commissioner and other as the Director Rural Development and Panchayats in the same department

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