Punjab VB books two sarpanches, 8 panches for misappropriation of panchayat land relief
Chandigarh, May 27: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday registered a case against two sarpanches, eight panches, two panchayat secretaries, one JE, 10 firms and four other persons for "misappropriation" of panchayats funds received in lieu of acquisition of gram panchayat land pertaining to five villages — Akari, Sehra, Sehri, Takhtumajra and Pabra, in Rajpura, Patiala, under the Amritsar-Kolkata Integrated Corridor Project.
After a thorough probe, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) registered a case under Sections 406, 420, 409, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120B, of the IPC and Sections 13 (1) A and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against the accused for the misappropriation of compensation amount received for the purchase of total 1,103 acre, 3 kanal, and 15 marla land of the five villages.
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A spokesperson for the Vigilance Bureau said a case had been registered against 10 firms and four other persons for supplying materials and labour under the name of development works in villages Akari and Sehri. In this regard, two sarpanches and eight panches of both the villages have also been booked.
The spokesperson said Harjit Kaur, sarpanch of Akari village, Charanjit Kaur, panch; Avtar Singh, panch; Sukhwinder Singh; panch, Darshan Singh, panch, Kulwinder Kaur, panch; Jaswinder Singh, Panchayat, Secretary posted in the BDPO Office, Shambhu, besides Manjit Singh, sarpanch of Sehri village, Jatinder Rani, panch, Lakhveer Singh, panch, Pawandeep Kaur, panch, Lakhminder Singh, Panchayat Secretary, and Dharminder Kumar, Assistant Engineer, posted in the BDPO office, Sambhu, have been booked as accused for misappropriation of panchayats funds.
Apart from this, private firm owner Dinesh Kumar Bansal, contractor of Bassi Pathana, district Fatehgarh Sahib; Gill Trading Company of Patiala; Falcon Enterprises, Mohali, Innovation Solutions, Patiala, Bhole Nath Buildings, village Upal Herri, Rajpura; Varun Singla, contractor and supplier, Bassi Pathana, Fatehgarh Sahib, RB Building Materials Patiala, SSDN Building Materials, Patiala, Bimal Constructions, Sarai Banjara, district Patiala, Chopra Public House, including four other persons — Kuldeep Singh of Rajpura, Inderjit Gir of Rajpura, Jugnu Kumar of Rajpura, district Patiala, were also found to be involved in this case.
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Giving more details about the scam committed in the name of accomplishing development works in these villages, he informed that PUDA had acquired total 1103 acres, 3 kanals, 15 marlas of panchayats land in the above five villages in order to construct the Amritsar-Kolkata Integrated Corridor Project.
In this connection, compensation amount to the tune of Rs 2,85,15,84,554 have been paid to the panchayat of village Akari, Sehari, Sehara, Taktumajara and Pabbra on account of acquired land. Apart from this, the cultivators of this land were given a total displacement allowance of Rs.97,80,69,375 at the rate of Rs.9 lakh per acre.
The spokesperson added that the villagers had complained to the VB about the development works which were not done properly by the panchayats with the amount of Rs 285,15,84,554 and other grants received from 2019 to 2022. During the probe, it has came to light that the above mentioned accused persons embezzled the funds in connivance with panchayat department officials.
— PTC News
