Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday ordered a vigilance probe into the alleged usurping of Government land by a relative of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Abohar.
Chief Minister’s statement came during the question hour of the ongoing budget session when the local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu listed out the persons on whose name the property was registered, meant for Abohar Water Works.
The issue was raised by Congress MlA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, which was acknowledged by Sidhu saying that the land was encroachment by some people.
He said that in 1961, 9.25 acres of land was acquired to increase the capacity of the water works, built in 1931, at Abohar and the people from whom the land was acquired were given adequate compensation at that time.
The record pertaining to this is secured in record room at Ferozepur, he added.
But after the formation of the SAD-BJP government in 2007, some SAD leaders allegedly tampered with the government record and got some portion registered in their names, Sidhu alleged.
He added that the then Deputy Commissioner, without checking the record, ordered the demarcation to facilitate the illegal encroachment of this land worth crores by these people.
These people, Sidhu said, not only encroached this land but also got the next ‘khasra’ number outside the ambit of registry.
He further informed the House that the registries were made in the names of Paramjeet Singh alias lali Badal — uncle of SAD president Sukhbir Badal, Gurdit Singh, Mahinder Pratap, Ram Dayal, Varinder Pal Singh and Ashok Kumar.
Randhawa sought a strict action including registration of case against the then Deputy Commissioner, Revenue Officer, and other concerned besides the leaders who tempered with the records.
He pointed that the issue was raised by him during the Assembly session last year and the Chief Minister had then ordered a vigilance inquiry but nothing came out of it.
Agreeing to the MlA's demand, Sidhu sought a thorough probe against illegal encroachers by the Vigilance and stringent action against the guilty from the Chief Minister, who then ordered a probe into the matter.
Sidhu, later interacting with the media, lashed out at the Akalis saying that the SAD leaders due to the scams committed during their regime cannot face the public outside the assembly while inside they are resorting to walk-out tactics without any reason.
He also said that the ex-Deputy CM knew that in assembly today he would have to face the question of illegal encroachment by his relative of water works land at Abohar, that explains why he knowingly remained absent.
Capt announces refurbishment of Sultanpur lodhi
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced complete refurbishment at Sultanpur lodhi ahead of the 550th birthday celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, to be held in 2019.
“The Government would refurbish the entire infrastructure at Sultanpur lodhi in view of the 550th parkash utsav of Sri Guru Nanak Dev,” said Capt Amarinder while replying to a question by Congress MlA Navtej Singh Cheema, who demanded a new and far more spacious guest house to be constructed at Sultanpur lodhi as the present PWD building was in deplorable condition.