Punjab sets 2-week deadline to complete Vigilance probe into inflated NHAI land compensation case

Less than a month after a vigilance probe was ordered into the alleged manipulation of land records to claim inflated compensation in an NHAI acquisition case, the Punjab Government has fixed a two-week deadline to complete the inquiry into the role of revenue officials “from the Patwari to the SDM concerned.”

The assurance came before the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the ongoing proceedings in the matter, before Justice Harkesh Manuja made it clear that non-submission of final report within the stipulated period would entail in-person appearance of ADGP, Vigilance.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, Justice Harkesh Manuja’s Bench was told that inquiry/investigation in the case had been marked to Amritsar Vigilance SSP Lakhbir Singh and “shall be concluded within two weeks”.

Taking a note of the submissions, Justice Manuja fixed the matter for November 21.

The directions by Justice Manuja came in a case where entries in the revenue records pertaining to the acquired land were allegedly changed in an illegal manner from ‘agriculture’ to ‘non-agriculture’ after issuance of notifications to fetch higher compensation in Manawala village in Amritsar district.

“Since the matter involves public money, the same needs thorough probe especially relating to the role and conduct of the revenue officials right from the Patwari to SDM concerned by the Vigilance Department of the Government of Punjab and a report in this regard be produced before this Court on or before the next date of hearing. This direction is required in the given facts as the list of such improper determination is getting longer day by day,” Justice Manuja had observed.

The Bench had added that the petitioner-landowners had moved the court seeking release of compensation for the land acquired. The notification under Section 3A of the National Highways Authority of India Act was issued on November 21, 2020, followed by a Section 3D notification on May 10, 2021, and an award on August 6, 2021.

Initially, the land was valued as gair mumkin or non-cultivable. But a subsequent complaint by a whistleblower led to the conclusion that the land’s status in revenue records had been “illegally changed” from agricultural to non-agricultural after the issuance of the acquisition notifications — allegedly to secure higher compensation.

Justice Manuja asserted the Deputy Commissioner – in his capacity as the collector of the district and the administrative head – acted in bona fide discharge of his official duties by conducting an inquiry and passed a detailed order. “It was found that the entries were in fact changed from ‘agriculture’ to ‘non-agriculture, gair mumkin godown’, after the issuance of notifications in a mischievous manner”.