Controversy over Ludhiana Improvement Trust allotting 73 plots to its employees

Ludhiana Improvement Trust’s (LIT) move to allot 73 plots to its employees, just before upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections, has triggered a controversy as some people have claimed that despite the orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court, LIT conducted a draw to allot plots to the employees in an illegal manner.

LIT authorities on Tuesday evening carried out a draw for allotment of plots to the employees, including Class 4 employees, a superintending engineer and some other staff.

The Punjab and Haryana high court advocate Surjit Singh Salar sent a notice to LIT that the trust, in an illegal manner has tried to allot plots to the employees. “My clients have challenged the illegal allotment. The high court has observed that the only plots which could have been reserved at the time of applications can be allotted on the basis of carry forward. Not even a single advertisement was made inviting applications from the general public and reserved categories after the introduction of employees’ quota in 1983,” Salar claimed.

He said the LIT’s move of conducting a draw to allot plots is illegal as it is a violation of the high court orders. If the LIT authorities failed to follow the directions of the court, a contempt petition will be filed, he said.

During the hearing of a Civil Writ Petition (4205 of 2010) on January 29, 2014, the respondent-improvement Trust and all other improvement trusts in Punjab have been restrained from allotting any flats/plots in the favour of their employees against 2% reservation provided under the rules, except in case of widow or orphans who do not have any residential house in any urban area of Punjab.

A local displaced person (LDP), whose land was acquired for LIT schemes, said that they have been waiting for allotment of plots but priority is being given to the employees.

“I don’t raise the objection if the plots are given to Class 4 employees or other staff, but LIT should also pay attention towards common people who have been waiting for nearly 40 years for the allotment of plots,” he said.

The draw on Tuesday evening was conducted in the presence of LIT chairman Subash Verma and executive officer Paramjit Singh.

A plot whose market value is nearly Rs 3 crore is likely to be allotted to a senior official of the trust while plots of 40 or 60 yards are to be allotted to Class 4 employees, the source said.

Paramjit Singh said that the draw for 73 plots was conducted, adding that it was a long pending case, as these employees had submitted earnest money. The plots will be allotted if the government gives permission, he claimed.

“We will take legal advice in this regard. If there is any court order against the allotment process, we will follow the orders of the court,” he said.