AAP MLA questions minister over panchayat land auction in Ludhiana

The issue also drew support from Rupnagar AAP legislator Dinesh Chadha, who alleged that the village panchayat owned nearly 800 acres of land worth around ₹1,500 crore and alleged that influential people had benefited from the management of such valuable public property

An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA on Friday questioned the rural development and panchayats minister over the alleged auction of gram panchayat land in Ludhiana’s Maloud area, even offering to resign from the assembly if the government could prove that the auction had been conducted.

Replying to the question, Sond said around 11 acres of panchayat land had been earmarked for auction last year. (HT File)

The confrontation erupted during the question hour on the fifth day of the Punjab assembly monsoon session, after Payal MLA Manvinder Singh Giaspura disputed rural development and panchayats minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond’s assertion that the process to auction panchayat land in Daulatpur village, Maloud, had been initiated in accordance with the rules.

Replying to the question, Sond said around 11 acres of panchayat land had been earmarked for auction last year. An administrator had been appointed to conduct the auction this year, with the latest attempt scheduled for August 7. He said the first auction, held with a 20% increase in the reserve price, failed to attract bidders. A second attempt, with the reserve price raised by 10%, also drew no response. The department is now holding a third auction after reducing the reserve price by 20% in an effort to lease the land, he said.

Giaspura rejected the minister’s version, maintaining that no auction had actually taken place in Daulatpur. “If the minister can prove that the auction was conducted, I am ready to resign from my assembly membership,” he said, adding that “the Vidhan Sabha should not be turned into a platform for lies”.

The issue also drew support from Rupnagar AAP legislator Dinesh Chadha, who alleged that the village panchayat owned nearly 800 acres of land worth around ₹1,500 crore and alleged that influential people had benefited from the management of such valuable public property.

Responding to the allegations, Sond said the matter had already undergone judicial scrutiny. He told the House that a civil writ petition had been dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana high court, while related challenges had also been rejected by the Supreme Court on three occasions. The newly elected panchayat had passed a fresh resolution and forwarded it to the department, which would now seek the opinion of the advocate general before deciding the next course of action, the minister said.

Govt to recruit 1,032 lecturers for rural schools

Education minister Harjot Singh Bains said 1,032 lecturers will be appointed in government schools, with the appointments expected to be completed within the next four months. The new recruits will be posted primarily in rural schools to address teacher shortages and strengthen secondary education.

Announcing this during the question hour, the minister said the recruitment process was already underway and would improve the availability of subject teachers in government schools.

Replying to a question by AAP’s Raikot MLA Hakam Singh Thekedar, Bains also announced infrastructure upgrades for two government schools in the constituency. He said ₹2.48 crore had been sanctioned for Dr Dwarka Nath Government Girls Senior Secondary School against an estimated project cost of ₹2.56 crore, with work set to begin shortly. An estimate of ₹1.09 crore has also been prepared for Mahavir Government Senior Secondary School, and funds for the project will be arranged soon, he added.

In another reply, public works department minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said the proposed judicial complex at Raikot could not be taken up because land had not yet been identified. The project, he said, would be considered once suitable land became available.

Dera Bassi MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa sought the construction of a subdivision complex in the town. Revenue and rehabilitation minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said that after the new judicial complex becomes operational and the courts shift there, the existing court complex could be converted into a subdivision complex. He said a meeting to discuss the proposal has been scheduled for August 17.