Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrests coloniser for causing Rs 2.2-crore loss to government through unauthorised colony

Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 22

The Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday arrested Kharar builder Parveen Kumar for establishing an unauthorised colony named Ambika Greens in connivance with the officials of the Municipal Council Kharar thereby reportedly causing a huge financial loss to the government for non-payment of Rs 2,22,51,105 and tampering with the records related to the passed maps/plans of the plots in the colony from the office of the council.

The court has granted 5-day police remand to the VB to inquire into all the allegations properly.Before taking Kumar to the court, the VB team brought him to the Civil Hospital where he was medically examined.When asked by mediapersons, the builder, close to the former Chief Minister, said there is no allegation against him but he is being implicated by the VB. Even as he was saying it, the VB officials dragged him to the other side.

A spokesperson of the VB said a case under sections 420, 409, 120-B of the IPC and sections 13(1)(a), 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at VB Flying Squad, Punjab, Mohali police station on February 21.

The case has been registered after the investigation of a vigilance enquiry in which it was found that about 20 acres of land was donated to Shaheed Kansi Ram Memorial College Bhagumajra, Kharar, by the residents of Bhagumajra village in the year 1972-73 to establish a college. At that time under the chairmanship of the then Kharar MLA Shamsher Singh Josh, an 11-member society was formed on 14.08.1978 and the National Education Trust was formed who had purchased about 17 acres of land in nearby Khanpur village.

The spokesperson said after this, on 7-02-2018, Shaheed Kansi Ram College Education Trust Kharar further sold 6 acres 1 bigha land in Khanpur village to Praveen Kumar for a total of Rs 6,52,81,771. After that Praveen Kumar established a colony named Ambika Greens on this land through his realtor firm, and for getting the maps/plans passed of the said colony by MC Kharar, he deposited only Rs 6,58,213 out of actual amount of Rs. 2,02,51,105. The accused coloniser started selling plots to people without getting the map/plan passed from the said council thus violated the rules.

He further added that out of the plots sold by the accused Praveen Kumar in this colony, the maps of about 30 plots were passed by the officials/employees of MC Kharar and issued NOCs to various allottees in the said colony in colluding with the above said accused. Subsequently, the PSPCL Sub Division City-2 Kharar installed domestic electricity meters on the basis of such NOCs issued while the Ambika Greens colony has not been passed yet.

During the investigation, it was found that a notice was also issued to Praveen Kumar on 22-11-2021 by the then MC executive officer, Kharar, Rajesh Kumar Sharma to pay the government arrears, but still the above said accused has not deposited any amount to the MC. Due to this inaction, the officers/officials of MC Kharar had to stop the allottees from making any construction on the purchased plots until the colony was passed, which caused huge financial loss to the government but the MC officers/employees didn’t performed their duties properly in this case.

He further said accused Praveen Kumar has not yet submitted the complete file regarding his colony named Ambika Greens to the state department concerned to get it regularised. From this vigilance investigation, it was concluded that the accused Praveen Kumar had cut the unauthorised colony and sold various plots thereby caused loss to the state exchequer due to non-payment of the said amount including interest of Rs 2,22,51,105. He added that it has also been found that the officials/employees of MC Kharar in connivance with Praveen Kumar had passed the maps/plans of the unauthorized colony located at a short distance from the council office from the year 2020 till now by misusing their powers and did not stopped the owners of plots from construction in this unauthorised colony.

The spokesperson said apart from this, the officers/officials of the MC Kharar in collusion with Praveen Kumar, has also destroyed the office record pertaining to the maps and plans passed in the said colony. He added that during further investigation the roles of other concerned officials would also be prpbed.

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