Ludhiana: Ex-SAD minister booked for not paying ₹14 cr licence fee to GLADA
The FIR was filed against Garcha, 88, under sections 36 (1) of Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act on a complaint filed by additional chief administrator
Former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) minister Jagdish Singh Garcha has been booked for allegedly not paying design and construction licence fee and penal interest to the tune of ₹14.33 crore to Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA).
The FIR was filed against Garcha, 88, under sections 36 (1) of Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act on a complaint filed by additional chief administrator.
The complainant stated that Garcha through his firm GS Township located at Lalton Kalan had availed a licence from GLADA under Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act 1995 on December 24, 2010 to develop a colony crown town in Lalton Kalan village. Nearly 70 acre land was spared for the project.
The licence was valid upto December 23, 2013, but the firm did not renew the license. Further, the complainant added that a total of ₹14.33 crore of Engineering Design and Construction (EDC) Licence fee and penal interest were due against them despite reminders.
Harjinder Singh Garcha, son of ex-SAD minister, stated that they had a joint venture agreement with a firm Earth Infrastructure of Delhi to develop the colony. Meanwhile, the Economic Offence Wing had initiated an action against Earth Infrastructure in some other cases. Later, the deputy commissioner, Ludhiana, had banned sale and purchase of plots in the colony.
Harjinder said that meanwhile GLADA officials had sent them reminders for depositing licence fee and other charges, but “we had cleared all the things before them and made it clear that nothing could happen on the project as the matter is pending in the court.”
He also claimed that after GLADA had moved a complaint against them to police, he sent a representation to the officials that they are willing to clear all the dues, but technically they cannot do the same as the matter is subjudice. On January 19, GLADA had written to police to stall action on the complaint filed against them. However, the police lodged an FIR against his father.
Garcha, 88, a two-time MLA from Kila Raipur constituency, was cabinet minister for technical education in the SAD government from 1997 to 2002. A staunch loyalist of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Garcha was arrested by the vigilance bureau in an alleged corruption case.