Laljit Singh Bhullar, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats in Punjab, has urged field officials to accelerate the campaign for reclaiming panchayat lands. During a crucial meeting held at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Bhullar instructed the Divisional Directors and Deputy Directors of Panchayats (DDPOs) to provide progress reports within 15 days.
The minister revealed that Vigilance Bureau has successfully reclaimed 11,859 acres of panchayat land so far, with 6,657 acres in the state being earmarked for reclamation. However, field officers have not yet initiated the necessary actions in these pending cases. Bhullar stressed the need for prompt actions by district officers on pending reclamation warrants.
He requested the officials to provide block-wise details of panchayat lands under occupation, emphasizing the urgency of these matters. To expedite cases related to the Punjab Village Common Lands Act (PVL Act) Section 7, 6,926 acres are pending at the DDPO level, and for Section 11, 20,734 acres are pending at the Divisional Director and additional Deputy Commissioner levels. Furthermore, 42,381 acres fall under cases that have not been registered under PVL Act Section 7 due to relevant officials.
Bhullar urged senior officers to appear in court as private witnesses during court proceedings, especially at the High Court and Supreme Court levels. This would strengthen Vigilance Bureau’s stance in these cases. He proposed a thorough investigation into certain discrepancies related to land ownership rights, and if any wrongdoing is uncovered, stern action will be taken against the accused officers/employees.Additionally, the Minister instructed Group Deputy Commissioners and SSPs to provide administrative assistance to Vigilance officers to expedite the reclamation of panchayat lands.