Punjab Chief Town Planner held for nod to illegal projects

Gaurav Kanthwal

Mohali, February 24

Officials of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) have arrested Punjab Chief Town Planner Pankaj Bawa and booked director of Bajwa Developers Limited, Kharar, Jarnail Singh Bajwa, along with revenue patwari Lekh Raj (now retired), in a cheating-cum-criminal conspiracy case pertaining to 179 acre residential/commercial project in Sinhpur, Hasanpur and Jandpur of Mohali.

Bajwa Developers Limited got a project passed by the state government, but the promoter did not deposit one per cent of the project cost or a maximum of Rs 1 crore as cancer relief fund with the government, according to an empowered committee decision on March 22, 2013. Also, PUDA officials didn’t initiate any action against in this regard.

Besides, Bajwa Developers, in collusion with officials, managed a get a green signal for the layout plan of a residential mega project in Sunny Enclave, village Jandpur, Sinhpur, Hasanpur, in Sector 120, 123, 124 and 125, and also a housing plan for economically weaker sections (EWS) in 9.09 acres. Out of this area, 4 kanals 17.1/10 marlas of village Hasanpur and 57 kanal 0.1/2 marlas of village Sinhpur was registered in the name of GMADA, but there was no record of 1.32 acres. Even after seven years, this area is still owned by Bajwa Developers and the land owners, who gave a consent to the developer, which clearly proves the connivance of GMADA officials with the developer.

Bajwa, in collusion with the DTP of that time, Pankaj Bawa, now CTP, Raghbir Singh, Assistant Town Planner, and Lekh Raj Patwari (now retired) got approval for the khasra numbers of shamlat land of Sinhpur village in the layout plan without any approval of CTP regarding change of land use (CLU).

In 2014-2015, Bajwa, with the aid of then GMADA officials, constructed 78 commercial booths in Sector 123, without getting the designs/maps passed, causing financial loss worth crores to the government.

Meanwhile, Vigilance Bureau has registered a case under section 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of Indian Penal Code, and section 13(1)(a) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at Police Station Vigilance Bureau, Flying Squad-1, Punjab, Mohali, on February 24. “The role of other GMADA, PUDA offcials; Chief Town Planner, Punjab, Municipal Council, Kharar, and private individuals is also under scrutiny,” the Vigilance Bureau’s FIR stated.

GMADA, PUDA officials did not comment on the case.