Punjab CM Badal faces land grab probe

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, already beleaguered by charges of corruption, is facing a fresh land-grab case, with the state Lokpal (anti-corruption watchdog) on Tuesday ordering an inquiry against him for allegedly planting poplar trees and vegetables on common village land in Badaphul village of Ropar district.

The inquiry was ordered on a petition filed by lawyer Arvind Thakur, for a local non-government organisation, which alleged that 282 acres of common land at the state was illegally taken over by Badal and his colleague in the state cabinet, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura.

Thakur said that as per a 2007 notification issued by the state government, nobody could sell or transfer village common land. But the land was given to Badal by the local panchayat at the behest of rural development minister Bhamapura.

''The land is in the name of Ranghbir Singh Dhillon, a close aide of Badal. It was transferred in his name, which cannot be done,'' said Thakur. He has submitted documents in support of the complaint to the Lokpal.

The Lokpal recorded the statements and evidence given by the NGO to support its contention. It asked the Inspector General of Police to inquire into the complaint and file a report by 20 December.

Badal was not available for comment. Party sources reportedly said that they would not speak on the issue till the inquiry was completed.

In September, the Lokpal had ordered an inquiry into allegations of irregularities against Badal and his family members over running of private buses in Punjab, while in August the ombudsman ordered a probe into a complaint on "illegal occupation" of prime government land in Kapurthala district by former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Jagir Kaur, allegedly at the behest of the chief minister.