E-Paper
Mohali: 29 acres of panchayat land freed in Abhipur village
As part of a statewide drive, the Punjab department of rural development and panchayats on Thursday freed 29 acres of panchayat land at Mohali’s Abhipur village under Block Majri near New Chandigarh
As part of a statewide drive, the Punjab department of rural development and panchayats on Thursday freed 29 acres of panchayat land at Abhipur village under Block Majri near New Chandigarh.
State rural development and panchayat Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal reached the village and executed the warrant of possession (WOP) of the land worth crores which was encroached by one Captain Bikramjit Singh (retired) since 2007.
In 2017, Captain Singh had contested assembly elections on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket from Khemkaran in Tarn Taran district and lost. After the elections, he remained the spokesperson of the party for a long time.
As per a press release, the gram panchayat had in 2007 filed a case of encroachment in the court of collector, and on September 18, 2014, the case was decided in its favour and the warrant of possession was issued. Rural department officials tried to get the land vacated for failed to do so.
Meanwhile, Captain Singh said it is totally unlawful as the case is still pending with the director of rural development. “I own the land since 2007 and now it is a political vendetta against me as I left the party. I have all the documents and will file an appeal in court,” he said.
On April 26, Dhaliwal, who chaired a high-level meeting with additional deputy commissioners and district development and panchayat officers at Vikas Bhawan, set a target of removing encroachments from 5,000 acres of panchayat land by May 31 in the first phase of this drive.
