Vigilance Bureau nabs Naib Tehsildar, Patwari for tempering Shamlat record to favour private persons

Accused Revenue officials transferred 28 acres Shamlat land to individuals

Chandigarh, June 1:

           The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) under the zero tolerance policy against corruption adopted by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab government, on Thursday arrested Naib Tehsildar Sardulgarh Balwinder Singh and Patwari Jagjit Singh Jagga (Now retired) on charges of illegally transferring 28 acres of Shamlat land of village Sema in Bathinda district by tempering revenue records.

          Divulging the details, an official spokesperson of the VB said Naib Tehsildar Sardulgarh Balwinder Singh (then Kanoongo) and then Patwari of halqa Sema Jagjit Singh had illegally transferred 28 acres of Shamlat land in the name of some individuals by altering the revenue records (Jamabandi) pertaining to the year 2005-06 and made these persons owners of the common land from cultivators. These individuals then took loans of worth lakhs of rupees from banks by hypothecating the said land.

          After probing this vigilance enquiry registered in 2017, the VB has also nominated private individuals, who managed to get the Shamlat land transferred on their name in connivance with these revenue officials, in this case.

          He further informed that a case has been registered under the various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC against the accused revenue officials at VB police station Bathinda range. Further investigation in this case was under progress.