Cong protests auction of land ‘belonging’ to Capt’s ancestors
Saturday, 19/11/2016
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/cong-protests-auction-of-land-belonging-to-capt-s-ancestors/325354.html
Bathinda : The district administration’s bid to auction the 81-acre cattle fairground in Rampura Phul ran into rough weather today as the Congress lodged a protest, claiming that the land belonged to the ancestors of PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh, not the Rural Development and Panchayats Department.
The Congress has sought a high-level probe into the matter, alleging that the “short notice” auction was aimed at favouring some Akali leaders. Congress and SAD workers had a verbal duel over the issue in the presence of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Sheena Aggrawal, who was supervising the auction.
State Congress spokesman Sunil Jakhar and former MLA Gurpreet Singh Kangar alleged that the administration went ahead with the auction without verifying the ownership status of the land.
“Nobody saw any auction notice in the newspapers. They circulated a pamphlet yesterday and held the auction today in a shady manner. The land falling in Amarinder’s ancestral village of Mehraj belonged to his ancestors. We are digging out the revenue records,” said Jakhar and Kangar.
“People of the area should have been given some time and adequate publicity should have been done about the auction so as to give everybody a chance to make bids. Of the 81 SCFs (shops-cum-flats) and 67 booths, just two could be sold as we told the people that the Congress will probe the auction if it comes to power,” said Kangar.
The ADC was not available for comment. Amarinder also could not be contacted.
