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Govt needs money, so it will
sell people’s land
WSN Network
CHANDIGARH:With
the Punjab Government caught in a deep financial crisis, where do
you think it can raise its money? By selling what you own! The
cash-strapped Badal government, whose revenue collection is at an
all time low, has now decided to sell off or commercially exploit
police department land under the Optimum Utilisation of Vacant
Government Land (OUVGL) Scheme.
The government
hopes to mop up hundreds of crores from this exercise, obviously to
meet its fiscal exigencies.
The Home and
Justice Department of Punjab government wrote (letter no. 2898 dated
26-11-2009) to Chief Administrator, PUDA, Punjab and Managing
Director, Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB), seeking
details of the vacant government land belonging to police department
in the state for commercial exploitation at the earliest.
Earlier, Special
Principal Secretary (Home) had sent a letter (no. 14829 dated
11-112009) to Punjab DGP seeking details of available land at police
stations, Police Lines and other establishments of the police
force.
After the DGP
office submitted a detailed report of properties, the Home
Department had sought brief recommendations regarding proposed
commercial use (indicating shopping complex, multi-storey
mall/hoardings/banks/petrol pumps/cell phone towers etc.) from PUDA
and PIDB, which has recently been sent.
On December 24,
Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) submitted a detailed report
citing Bathinda Police Lines as one such property up for commercial
exploitation, where prevailing market price of the land adjoining
BathindaMansa road varied between Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per sq
yard.
Similarly, Zonal
PUDA office also sent reports regarding vacant land at police
stations/Police Lines in Bathinda, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Faridkot
and Ferozepur districts.
It needs mention
here that the state government has already drawn sharp criticism
from the opposition Congress party for selling off government
properties to run the government.
30
December 2009
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