SAD demands CBI inquiry into Shamlat land scam perpetrated by Balbir Sidhu  

(Bikram S Majithia demands cheating case should be registered against Balbir Sidhu as well as Panchayat dept officials who facilitated the scam)

Chandigarh, August 5 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded a CBI inquiry into the Shamlat land scam perpetrated by Health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, stating the minister had usurped prime land worth Rs 100 crore in the name of a Trust headed by him.

Demanding immediate cancellation of the trust deed, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia also demanded a probe into the allotment of the prime land in Mohali to the Trust by Rural Development and Panchayats minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa. He said it was condemnable that even though the Panchayats department had allowed the lease of 10.4 acres of land for the Bal Gopal Gau Basera society headed by Balbir Sidhu ostensibly for running a ‘gaushala’ it had also allowed construction of a banquet hall and a diagnostic centre on the same piece of land. “This makes it clear that the lease deed was not made in good faith. The entire process smells of a scam. The government should register a case of cheating against the Health minister and members of the “Trust” as well as officials of the Panchayats department responsible for this illegality”.

Asserting that the SAD would move the court in case the government did not cancel the lease deed, Mr Bikram Majithia said “this is not the first time that Balbir Sidhu has used his position to usurp prime land worth hundreds of crores”. He said earlier the high court prevented the minister from usurping land in Darri village on the airport road in Mohali. “Sidhu was successful in taking over four acres of land in Darri village worth Rs 10 crore per acre from the village panchayat by giving the panchayat possession of a similar amount of land worth peanuts near a nala. The high court however overturned the government’s decision”.

Majithia said even in the present case involving taking over 10.4 acres of prime land in Balongi, due process had not been followed by allotting the land to Sidhu at a throwaway lease price of Rs 25,000 per acre. He said this was done despite the fact that the land was not suitable for establishment of a ‘gaushala’ which villagers felt should be closer to the village. The SAD leader also disclosed that the land was leased out to the Trust despite the fact that there were two panchayats in Balongi village and a division of assets was yet to take place. “Moreover this same piece of land was earlier in the possession of the small scale industries department on lease. It is most suited for a mega project or a public facility like a park which was the demand of the people of Balongi. The village panchayat could have also earned a handsome profit by leasing out the land for commercial purposes”.

 Majithia said the SAD would not allow this takeover of public property for personal profit. “This is clear from the fact that one Paras Mahajan, who was involved in the transfer of Shamlat land at Darri village, is also a Member of the Gaushala Trust floated by the minister.“We will use all options available to us to force the government to overturn this decision which amounts to institutionalizing corruption in the State”