News Article: Haryana: Prof. Sampat Singh demand probe in panchayat lands

Posted on Aug 09, 2011 - 12:28am by News Team in Haryana

Chandigarh, August 8—Prof. Sampat Singh,MLA from Nalwa Assembly Constituency has demanded that the amendments carried out in the year 2008 by Haryana Government in Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules,1964 should be made effective from November 1,1966 and lease amount at the rate of five per cent of the collector rate per year  should be charged on the panchayat land given by   various governments to the trusts, societies and  institutions as a gift or donation or on nominal prices.

Prof. Sampat Singh, who was addressing a press conference here today, said that the Haryana Government amended Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules,1964 on January 3,2008 and made a provision that panchayats could not be evicted from their land. This important step was taken by the Chief Minister Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda to empower panchayats and create financial resources for them. This also led to transparency. The Chief Minister deserved all praise for this step, he added. He said that the state government should enquire about the use of panchayati land given to the trusts and societies and the allotment of such land should be cancelled in case the land was found to be used by the trust or society for purposes other than it was allotted for.

He said that the Haryana government should enquire that how many trusts, societies or other institutions in the state had been allotted land on lease and a resolution should also be introduced in the Vidhan Sabha to charge lease amount at the rate of five per cent of the collector rate per year on the public land given to the trusts or other institutions since the inception of the Haryana state till date. This can be easily done by implementing the above said amendment of 2008 in Punjab Village  Common Lands (Regulation) Rules,1964 retrospectively since November 1, 1966. In the mean time, the beneficiary trusts or societies or institutes should come forward themselves voluntarily and pay willingly the lease amount at the rate of five per cent of the collector rate per year on the land given to them on lease basis. He also appealed to the opposition leaders to support him on this issue of strengthening the panchayats financially.

He pointed out that a misinformation campaign was being carried out about the land given to Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust. Five acres panchayati land had been given to this trust on lease as per rules and on the concurrence of gram panchayat and lease amount at the rate of five per cent of the collector rate per year i.e. Rs. 15 Lac per year was being charged annually from the trust. The collector rate of this land was Rs 60 lakh per acre and village panchayat had earned Rs 30 lakh during the last two years from this land. Early the panchayat had leased the same land on Jun 11, 2004 for five years for a lump sum amount of Rs. 15,200 i.e. Rs. 600 hundred per acre per year. All the trusts and societies of the state should follow Mr Rahul Gandhi who has made full amount of Rs. 15 lacs per year at the rate of five per cent of the collector rate for the land given to the trusts, whereas the land given to the trusts would be used for the good of public, as an eye hospital would be set up on this land. The trust had made provisions for providing free medical care to the BPL families, rebate to the villagers and providing employment to the local people.

Taking a dig at BJP, Prof. Sampat Singh said that BJP leader Mr Raj Nath Singh visited the village Ullawas to take political mileage but he was clueless on being questioned about the panchayat of  Sadhrana village in Gurgaon district having gifted 30  kanal and 6 malr of shamlat land to the people for animals society for the construction fo Meneka Gandhi Veterinary Hospital while the BJP was a coalition partner in the state regime. Lashing out at INLD Supremo Mr Om Parkash Chautala, he said that land had also been gifted away to a number of trusts of Chautala family either free or on nominal rates. Inquiry should be made into this matter whether the land is being used for the purpose it was given or for commercial purpose. He asked Mr. Chautala whether he is ready to pay Rs. 3 lacs per acre per year for those panchayat lands owned by the trust of his family members. He said that he himself would seek information from the government of Haryana, Union Territory, Chandigarh and Delhi State etc. about the land given to such trusts under Right to Information Act.


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