Owe over Rs 6 crore to government, lodging of FIRs held up under political pressure
Ludhiana MC Polls: Why have illegal colonisers supported Congress candidates?
By Raju William
Ludhiana, February 23, 2018: Owners of unauthorized colonies within Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (LMC) limits owe over Rs 6 crore as fee to the government under regularisation policy since 2013. The list of defaulting colonizers is ready but action against them has been delayed due to the MC polls being held on February 24.
The reason for this uncalled for leniency is not far to seek. Almost all such colonizers are supporting the Congress candidates allegedly with funds and other material support as part of this thriving politico-coloniser nexus active in the richest MC of the state.
A top MC functionary told babushahi.com on condition of anonymity that the cases for registering FIR against 81 such colonisers were ready. Whether the same would be reported to the concerned police stations or not even after the polling day is not yet clear. Total 111 such cases had been detected by the MC authorities.
Under the state regularization policy, the owners of illegal colonies were offered to deposit regularization fee at the rate of one percent per acre. The applicants were to deposit 25 percent of the total due amount at the time of submission of their files and pay the balance amount in a year.
Majority of these colonizers deposited the 25 percent amount. On this basis, they claimed their colonies stood approved and had sold plots to buyers by misleading them about the actual status of the colonies. “This is how they duped the gullible buyers and also caused loss to the state exchequer by defaulting on the balance fee payment. The total outstanding amount is about Rs 6.5 crore,” he added.
Sources said the MC authorities were “helpless” in proceeding against the defaulting colonizers allegedly under the political pressure. Apparently, the colonizers are helping out the ruling party’s candidates in hope of seeking patronage as the Congress is expected to continue its winning streak in Ludhiana after sweeping the Municipal Corporation polls in Amritsar, Patiala and Jalandhar.
When contacted, Shadi Lal, a colonizer in Tibba Road area had no hesitation in admitting that he was supporting the Congress candidate in Ward 12. He and his son have put up banners in the entire area appealing for votes in favour of the Congress candidate. A number of banners carrying pictures of his son Gaurav Kumar along with the party candidate can be seen hanging all over.
Similarly, Balbir Singh, one of the owners of newly carved colony in Ward 70, when asked, said he was busy in the poll campaign. He gave contradictory replies about his stake in the said colony. He openly supported the son of a well-known Congress leader contesting MC poll for the first time from Ward 46.
There are Congress leaders covertly or overtly active in the real estate business in Ludhiana. Those having say in the party affairs managed to get tickets for their close kin. A big time coloniser Maharaj Singh Raji is himself contesting on the Congress ticket from Ward 80. He has been Congress councilor earlier too. A sitting Congress MLA’s active interest in this business is also well known.
Meanwhile, the Congress MP from Ludhiana, Ravneet Singh Bittu issued an appeal on the eve of the polling day in which he promised moon to the voters. Among other things, he assured zero tolerance to corruption and people-friendly MC staff as major objectives in the Congress-led MC House. Notably, Bittu had a major say in allotment of the party tickets.