Mohali: Ludhiana Improvement Trust told to complete plot transfer within 30 days

The commission noted that the special secretary, local government, Punjab, had directed the trust on March 9, 2017, to transfer the plot and submit a report

The Mohali consumer commission has directed the Ludhiana Improvement Trust to transfer a 400-square-yard plot to the buyer within 30 days, a process which had been stalled despite repeated requests, and pay ₹1 lakh in compensation for the delay.

The trust subsequently demanded ₹71 lakh in non-construction charges and penalty, along with ₹1 lakh in enhancement charges (HT File)

The commission, comprising president SK Aggarwal and member Paramjeet Kaur, partly allowed the complaint filed by Gurmukh Singh, who had applied for the transfer of the plot at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Ludhiana, in his name in 2000 after purchasing it from the original allottee, Jasbir Singh Chahal.

The commission noted that the special secretary, local government, Punjab, had directed the trust on March 9, 2017, to transfer the plot and submit a report. The trust, however, failed to comply with the direction.

The trust subsequently demanded ₹71 lakh in non-construction charges and penalty, along with ₹1 lakh in enhancement charges. Singh deposited ₹17 lakh in October 2025, but the plot was still not transferred. The commission noted that the trust later returned the deposited amount, citing an earlier letter waiving the non-construction charges.

Rejecting the trust’s contention that the complaint was time-barred, the commission held that the failure to transfer the plot constituted a continuing cause of action. It ruled that the trust’s inaction amounted to deficiency in service. The commission directed the trust to complete the transfer and issue the no-dues certificate within 30 days of receiving a copy of the order.