Mohali court summons Punjab rural development minister over vacating land

A Mohali court has summoned Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal over his department vacating 29 acres of land on which a person has claimed ownership.

In his petition, Bikramjit Singh submitted that the Rural Development and Panchayat Department's action in April to get the possession of his land at Abhipur village in Mohali was ''illegal''.

He told the court that he had bought the land in 2003-04 from the owners whose ancestors have been tilling the land since 1945.

Singh also claimed that he was not given any notice by the department before vacating the land.

The department had on April 28 said it got 29 acres of panchayat land freed from encroachment. The officials had taken possession of the land in the presence of Dhaliwal.

The minister had then said the Punjab government had launched a special drive to free panchayat land in the state from encroachments.

The rural development and panchayat minister has been directed by the court of Civil Judge (Junior Division) Kharar, Geeta Rani, to appear before it on July 25.

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