‘Ex-MC chief regularised a colony against norms, caused loss to govt’

Ludhiana: RTI activist Kuldeep Singh Khaira has moved a complaint with state vigilance bureau (VB) against former municipal corporation commissioner Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal alleging that he gave permission for regularisation of a colony against the norms and caused huge loss of revenue to the government.
Taking note of Khaira’s compliant VB recorded his statement and has also sought record about the entire case from MC Ludhiana.
Khaira said, “Major scam has taken place in the regularisation of a real estate project located on South City Road and everything happened under the nose of then MC commissioner Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal. The promoters of Paragon Water Front applied for regularisation of this commercial colony and in order to duck the lengthy and time taking process of applying under the category of new colony they applied for regularisation under the already existing colony by using forged means. The developers submitted full and final agreements of sale of seven plots of their colony along with their regularisation application in order to prove that this was already existing colony and they got technical approval of commissioner on the basis of these documents submitted by them.”
Khaira also alleged, “These plots were never sold at the time of applying for regularisation and infact these agreements were made fraudulently because no amount of sale was mentioned in any of these agreements. Moreover, according to rules, the developer was to submit the copies of the registry of these seven plots after the full and final agreement, but till February no copy of registry has been submitted by them to the local bodies department. Despite this being clear cut case of fraud and cheating and causing huge loss to the exchequer, then MC commissioner had himself signed the regularisation permission of this project on March 25, 2021. Therefore, VB should probe this case and take appropriate action against all those guilty of this crime and action should also be taken against other developers too who have taken the permissions in same fraudulent way”
Meanwhile, refuting the charges, Sabharwal said, “Nothing has been done against the rules and report has also been sent in this regard to the government.”
Deputy superintendent of police, vigillance, Jaswinder Singh, who is probing this complaint, said, “Investigation is on and activist’s statement has been recorded. We have also sought record from MC regarding this.”