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Ludhiana: Marking drive meant to identify, not sell land, says official
The clarification came after a letter issued by the Ludhiana (West) tehsildar, dated October 9, went viral on social media
Amid speculations that 1,800-acre government land in villages of Ludhiana (West) was being sold to private parties, the Ludhiana (West) tehsildar has issued a clarification denying the allegations. Officials said the ongoing land marking exercise is purely meant to identify and safeguard government-owned property belonging to departments, such as Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Ltd., horticulture department and Punjab Agri Export Corporation Ltd.
The clarification came after a letter issued by the Ludhiana (West) tehsildar, dated October 9, went viral on social media. The letter directed revenue staff, including kanungos and patwaris, to carry out demarcation of departmental land in villages of Goindwal, Mannowal, Chaulle, Alowal, Majara, Khark and others. The letter led to confusion and speculation that the land was being readied for sale to private parties.
However, in a subsequent communication issued on October 11, the tehsildar’s office clarified that the purpose of the earlier letter was only to mark and verify government land to check encroachments. “The marking work has been ordered solely to protect government property. It has no connection whatsoever with any sale, transfer or change in ownership,” the clarification stated.
The tehsildar also confirmed that no approval or process for the sale of any such land has been initiated. “All directions were given under the supervision of the senior officials to ensure that land belonging to Punjab Agro and related departments remains secure and clearly demarcated,” said a revenue official.
Meanwhile, Manik Goyal, an RTI activist, said, “The motive behind the land demarcation order is more than meets the eye. We have got to know regarding meetings by higher-ups, including a minister, for selling hundreds of acres to private players. It is totally unacceptable.”
The administration urged people to ignore the “misleading” information circulating on social media. “The marking exercise is a part of routine verification work to prevent misuse or encroachment of government land,” the official added.
