Punjab Panchayats’ Earn Rs. 221 Crore From Auction Of Panchayat Lands: Rakhra

Fixes Target Of Rs. 250 Crore For Next Year

5 Dariya News

Chandigarh 26-Nov-2012

The Punjab Government has earned Rs. 221 crore from the auction of shamlat (common land) and unpided public properties in the state by holding transparent auctioning of such lands ensuring proper videography of the whole process. Disclosing this here today, Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister, said that Punjab Government had initiated a campaign against illegal possession on common and unpided lands in villages of Punjab, which has brought fruit for the state government as with the transparent auction the state has received a big increase to its exchequer. He said that this increase would further give a momentum to the ongoing pace of development in rural areas. pulging details of campaign, Mr. Rakhra said that earlier the said amount was Rs. 208 crore but by tightening the noose of illegal occupants and making the system more efficient, the state has got an increase of Rs. 13 crore this year. He said that the Punjab Government has fixed the target of Rs. 250 crore for the next year through the auction system. Rakhra said that all the auctions with more than Rs. 1 lakh of amount were made under videography to maintain the transparency. He said that the auction of land up to 25 acres was conducted in the presence of Extension Officers while the auction for areas having more than 25 acres of land was made in the presence of BDPOs. The Minister said that where Punjab Government was preparing welfare and development schemes for the rural population in the state there the Panchayat Department was also stressing on the need of increasing income sources for further acceleration in development works.