Chandigarh, June 14: Power and Irrigation Minister Rana Gurjit Singh on Wednesday refuted AAP legislator Sukhpal Khaira’s allegation that he and his family had violated Section 42-A of The East Punjab Land Holdings Act, 1948, to grab shamlat land in Seonk village near Chandigarh.
The Act states that no village common land/theh shamlat or “hasab rasab” can be partitioned or its title changed in the names of person(s).
Rana Gurjit said the court of the ADC (Development), SAS Nagar, using the powers of the Collector, had ordered on July 1, 2016, that the ownership of the land in question was not vested in the gram panchayat.
Video courtesy: Facebook account of Sukhpal Singh Khaira
Demanding a CBI inquiry, Khaira alleged that the minister had “fraudulently manipulated facts to get 458 kanals of shamlat land/gair mumkin pahad in favour of his brother and sister-in-law”. He also said that Rana Gurjit Singh, in connivance with bank officers, had cheated the Union Bank of India and raised a loan of Rs109 crore against about 142 kanals owned by his family at Seonk village.
Rana Gurjit claimed that the loan had been taken by a company, Superior Foodgrains Private Ltd, three years ago — Rs55 crore was the term loan and Rs40 crore the working capital. “The loan was taken against the company itself. The land was pledged for additional security,” he said.
The minister said, “Khaira says the last payment was made by the bank on April 17. If he can prove it, I will resign.”
News Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com
