Accusing the Badals and Majithia of cheating and looting them, financially and otherwise, a delegation of Punjab realtors on Tuesday met Patiala MLA Maharani Preneet Kaur to seek an assurance on the regularization of colonies to revive the real estate sector, as promised earlier by Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh.Apart from the realtors, a delegation of depot holders of the state also held a meeting with Preneet to draw her attention to their woes under the Badal government and urge her to initiate certain concrete measures to provide immediate relief to them once the Congress comes to power in the state.Maharani Preneet assured both delegations, during separate meetings, that the Congress, led by Captain Amarinder, would address their problems on priority basis once it comes to power after the forthcoming Assembly elections.The realtors delegation, under the banner of the Punjab Colonisers & Property Dealers Association (Regd) expressed their despondency over the failure of the Badal government to revive the real estate business in the state.The delegation, led by association president Kultar Singh Yogi, said the Badal government had not fulfilled its promise to regularize colonies, which had caused several setback to the real estate business in the state.
Preneet Kaur said the delegation members, most of whom were district presidents and traditional supporters of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), complained of being cheated and looted by the Majithias, financially and otherwise. They recalled that Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder had announced a year ago that he would make a comprehensive and simplified policy for regularization of unauthorized colonies, and sought a verbal assurance on this from the party leadership or its inclusion in party manifesto.In the other meeting, the president and office-bearers of all districts of the Ration Depot Holders' Association, Punjab (Regd) complained to Maharani Preneet that the Badal government had rendered the 28,000 ration depots in the state, and their holders, completely redundant by getting atta and other essential food items distributed through Panches and Sarpanches.Preneet Kaur later said in a statement that the depot holders complained that as a result, whatever little commission they had been getting has been virtually eaten up by the Panches/Sarpanches in connivance with the Inspectorate staff of the Food & Supplies Department.The depot holders demanded a fixed monthly allowance, between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000, since the National Food Security Act does not provide for a salary for depot holders.