Mohali MLA trying to grab panchayat land, alleges Balbir Sidhu
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Sidhu claimed that on February 16, 2017, JLPL obtained approval to purchase approximately 6 acres of panchayat land in Papri at just ₹3 crore per acre—far below its actual market rate
Former Punjab health minister and senior Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu on Wednesday levelled serious allegations against Mohali MLA and JLPL managing director Kulwant Singh. He accused him of attempting to acquire prime panchayat land in Papri village at a fraction of its market value through alleged collusion with officials of the rural development and panchayat department. He also presented some documents from the revenue and panchayat departments to support his allegations.
However, MLA Kulwant Singh termed the allegations baseless.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Sidhu claimed that on February 16, 2017, JLPL obtained approval to purchase approximately 6 acres of panchayat land in Papri at just ₹3 crore per acre—far below its actual market rate.
He claimed that the company took possession of the land after paying only ₹50 lakh, even though the Panchayati Raj Act mandates full payment and registration before possession.
Sidhu further alleged that JLPL illegally began infrastructure development, including road construction, laying of sewer lines, and installation of electricity poles, despite strong opposition from villagers and ongoing legal proceedings that delayed the registration process for years.
When contacted, MLA Kulwant Singh termed the allegations baseless and said, “The Punjab and Haryana high court had ruled in favour of the government, stating that the procedure followed by the officials was correct and aligned with the state’s 2004 Critical Gap Policy.” He claimed that Sidhu himself had stalled the registration in 2017, leading to an eight-year-long stay in the matter.
Sidhu also warned against ongoing “attempts to register the land—now valued at nearly ₹150 crore—for just ₹18 crore using outdated valuations”. He said this violated Rule 6(3A)(3) of the Punjab Land Registry Act, 1961, which requires revaluation every six months.
Citing an earlier fraud case from 2015 involving the illegal transfer of 15 kanal 8 marla panchayat land to JLPL, Sidhu demanded immediate cancellation of the resolution and restoration of the land to the panchayat.
He urged chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to order an impartial probe into both cases to uphold transparency and protect public interest.
