Reward for those giving up govt land: Punjab Minister

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 14

A day after the AAP government was accused of selling panchayat land to a private real estate developer below the market price at Bhagatpura village on the outskirts of the holy city, Panchayat Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal clarified the village panchayat had sold only “pahi” (land supposed to be used as roads), that too, during the tenure of the previous government.

Further, extending an olive branch to illegal occupants of government land, the minister said those who relinquished their rights on such land before May 31 would be suitably rewarded.

He said the land deal dated back to 2015. “After going through the file, I found out the land was privately owned and the owners sold it to a private developer.” He added within this agricultural land, which was to be developed as a private township, fell some land earmarked as road.

Under the law, ownership of all roads in the rural areas vested with panchayats. The panchayat received permission for selling the land from the government, that too, some days prior the formation of the AAP government, Dhaliwal claimed. He said the government had reclaimed possession of 1,200 acres of panchayat land in the past 10 days and that they had received possession of 100 acres at Tarn Taran today.

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