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SAD to move court over `land scam'

Staff Correspondent

Proposal of the Punjab Government to allocate prime land to the Reliance Industries

CHANDIGARH: The controversial proposal of the Punjab government to allocate a 20 acre piece of prime land to the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), at a concession is all set to generate major heat in the political circles of the state, where elections to the legislative assembly are due about nine months' time. Fears are also being expressed that the move could ignite unrest among the rural masses.

The main opposition party, the Shiromani Akali Dal has announced that it would petition the Punjab and Haryana High Court and seek a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), into what it described as the biggest land scam in the history of India. The party would also approach the Principal Auditor General to seize the records and evaluate the loss being caused to the state through this deal.

On the other hand, adopting a tough stance on the issue, the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, while talking to reporters defended the State Government's decision. He said that while the Punjab was giving land worth Rs 200 crore at a nominal rate, the RIL had pledged an investment of Rs 6000 crore, which would benefit people in various strata of society.

Rejecting objections being raised on various accounts, Capt Singh said that the Akali Dal, which had no issue to approach the people with, was now desperately attempting to thwart the economic growth of the State, which had been initiated during the tenure of the present Congress government. Arguing that there was nothing uncommon about granting incentives, Capt Singh cited that the West Bengal government had allowed Rs 1400 crore as concession to the Tata group.

Earlier, reminding the Chief Minister of his stand against concessions which according to him delayed the Bathinda oil refinery by more than five years, Akali Dal General Secretary and MP, Sukhbir Singh Badal, alleged a deal running into thousands of crores of rupees, between Capt Singh and Mukesh Ambani's RIL, for a sell out of precious land belonging to Panchayats, the Punjab Small Industries Export Corporation (PSIEC) and the Agricultural Marketing Board (also known as the Mandi Board) across the State to the business house at throw away prices. This was in violation of the Punjab Agriculture Produce Marketing Act, Gram Panchayats Act and Punjab Village Common Lands Act, which could only be amended by the legislature.

Alleging that incredible sums could have changed hands to ensure this "day light loot" of the State's assets, the Akali leader said that the total bounty from the Chief Minister to the RIL, through land transfer alone, according to conservative estimates, would exceed Rs. 10,000 crore.

Mr. Badal alleged that in a single instance, 20 acres of land near the Railway station in Mohali with a market price of over Rs 1000 crore, was being handed over to the RIL at an unbelievable price of just Rs. .93crore. He said that there was no provision in the Mandi Board Rules to sell its land to private parties on acquisition price.

Though the rules allowed that the Mandi Board could sell of its land through open auction only, Mr. Badal pointed out that the Board had already submitted a plan to set up ultra modern vegetable market, on the pattern of Paris Vegetable Market, on the same site in Mohali, which the Chief Minister had decided to "gift" to the RIL.

Regarding the PSIEC, which was formed with the sole objective of promoting small scale industry, Mr Badal claimed that the Chief Minister had directed it to hand over land available in all industrial estates amounting to about 350 acres for only Rs 40 crore. Apart from causing a loss of Rs 700 crore to the PSIEC, the decision would completely rule out the promotion of industry in this sector.

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