Colonizer accuses IT chief of taking Rs 10 lakh from him

SANGRUR: A colonizer has accused Sangrur improvement trust chairperson of extracting Rs 10 lakh from him and demanding a plot for not acquiring his land for a trust colony. The colonizer has approached the Sangrur SDM and have handed him an affidavit levelling charges against the improvement trust chairperson, Inu Singla.
Singla, a BJP leader, on her part has vehemently denied the charges and alleged that the colonizer was blackmailing the trust authorities so that his land was not acquired.
SDM Upkar Singh, while confirming receiving the affidavit said it has been forwarded to the DC in a sealed envelope for further inquiry and action. Pardeep Kumar, the colonizer, who is the director of the construction company said, the company owns 4.36 acres of land at Uppli road.
Handing over the copies of the affidavit to mediapersons on Saturday evening, Kumar alleged that Singla demanded Rs 10 lakh and a 200 square yard plot in December 2010, saying only then the construction company’s piece of land would not be acquired. Kumar alleged that the chairperson along with trust officials visited the site to put pressure on them. Kumar, fearing that the costly land would be acquired without his consent reportedly handed over Rs 10 lakh to the trust chairperson, but the latter insisted that she be given a plot immediately. As the company did not want to give her the plot, they tried to dillydally on the matter.
In keeping with the state government scheme of allowing the construction of colonies, the company deposited the requisite fee of Rs 2.90 lakh to the local municipal council on February 25 and applied for being allowed to construct the colony on the said land, Kumar told TOI. He said municipal council authorities on March 1, accepting the company’s plea allowed them to construct the colony. He said following this the trust authorities too, passed a resolution a couple of days ago and decided to acquire the land, though the MC had already passed a resolution allowing the company to construct the colony. An MC official confirmed passing of the resolution.
Singla denying the charges said Kumar was telling complete lies. “He is blackmailing us to save his land from being acquired. She said when the trust authorities had selected the site and had passed a resolution in the presence of local bodies department deputy director and other officials, how could the MC authorities allow the construction of the colony.