Chandigarh, January 31: After Punjab’s Chief Conservator of Forests (Hills) Harsh Kumar wrote to project developers stating Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) notification would cease to exist in February, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Tuesday transferred him from the posting with immediate effect.
Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, in a letter to Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) Satish Chandra, conveyed the CM’s orders about his immediate transfer to the post of Chief Conservator of Forests (Information Technology).
Kumar, when contacted, said he was not aware of the transfer orders. He said he did not know why he would be transferred. “Maybe because I unearthed Rs 48 lakh scam in Dera Bassi under Green India Mission. The accused are well connected.”
Sources said the decision to transfer Kumar was taken after he wrote letters to certain project developers that PLPA notification would cease to exist in February. On the contrary, the government, it is learnt, had not taken any decision on the issue yet. It was waiting for the report of Central Institute of Soil and Water Conservation. The matter was sent to the institute to study the ecology of the area and suggest whether the state should denotify the ecologically fragile area under the PLPA in Shivalik foothills.
According to sources, the institute has said in its report that the state should extend the notification lapsing on February 3.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Punjab, Sukhpal Singh Khaira of AAP, on Tuesday seized upon Harsh Kumar’s letter to attack Amarinder, who has purchased six acres of land in Siswan village in Shivalik foothills. Khaira alleged after the notification lapsed, the land that the CM purchased for Rs 3.5 crore would appreciate in market value and could be sold for Rs 10 crore per acre. He accused the CM of conflict of interest and breach of oath of office and secrecy and “misuse of authority.”
“It now appears that Amarinder Singh was well aware of this fact that the PLPA notification would lapse on February 3, 2018, hence any piece of land bought would ultimately be allowed for residential or commercial use, which would skyrocket the prices by at least 10 times. This act of Amarinder Singh as Chief Minister is nothing but gross conflict of interest, besides serious breach of oath of secrecy and office to uphold the constitution,” Khaira said.
Khaira and AAP leader Kanwar Sandhu also met the Chief Secretary on Tuesday and demanded an inquiry to find out whether “CM’s political colleagues and his coterie of officers or other powerful persons would have also purchased land in the vicinity of New Chandigarh, knowing fully well that the PLPA of 2003 is going to lapse shortly”.
“The scope of inquiry must also include the purchase of land by the Chief Minister,” they said.
Raveen Thukral, media adviser to CM, said the land purchased by the CM was denotified by the erstwhile SAD-BJP government from PLPA on August 24, 2011.
“Except for Khasra numbers 174 and 175 (which amounted to 3 bighas and 19 biswas), the remaining land, measuring 24 bighas and 6 biswas, had been denotified in 2011. The two khasras that are still under PLPA can only be used for forestation,” Thukral said in a statement issued here.
“So there is no question of any violation of the law. The primary purpose of the purchase by the Chief Minister was agricultural, with a cottage being planned for construction as a farmhouse. The bulk of the plot, even though not covered by PLPA, would have a tree cover.”
Source The Indian Express
