Submit details of all departmental lands under illegal occupation: Punjab Minister

Chandigarh, April 16, 2018: A meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee for properly managing land of Local Government & Panchayati Raj Institutions and selling them/transferring to gather funds for the government or related units, was today held here at Punjab Bhawan presided over by the Local Government Minister, Punjab, Mr. Navjot Singh Sidhu in the presence of the committee members Finance Minister Mr. Manpreet Singh Badal and Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa. It was decided in the meeting that a detailed report be presented before it after identifying the departments whose assets have been illegally encroached upon.

In a statement after the meeting, Mr. Sidhu said that the data pertaining to all the government departments whose lands are under illegal occupation must be collected. He further said that the consolidated report of such lands of all the departments be prepared and submitted in the next meeting. He also directed the officers present to ensure that the details of every government department should be included in the data and no department should be left out. Besides this, the report of Justice Kuldeep Singh commission regarding the illegal encroachments must also be presented before the committee. He further divulged that before formulating any policy, it is necessary to ascertain that how much of the government land is under illegal occupation irrespective of the department. The minister has directed the report to be readied within 15 days and called the next meeting on 3rd May and also said that for expert advice Justice S.S. Saron and Ex DGP Chander Shekhar would also be attending the next meeting.

Among others present on the occasion included Additional Chief Secretary Revenue Ms. Vinni Mahajan, Secretary Rural Development & Panchayat Mr. Anurag Verma, Secretary Revenue Mr. Deepinder Singh, Director Rural Development & Panchayat Mr. C. Sibbin, Director Local Government Mr. Karnesh Sharma and Additional Secretary (Finance) Ms. Surinder Kaur Waraich.