Monitoring Team to look into public complaints in Punjab

Chandigarh, Apr 12 (UNI) Faced with a stream of public complaints including cases of land grabbing by influential people with political clout, the Punjab government today announced the formation of a special 'Monitoring and Feedback Team', to look into such cases.

This announcement was made here today at a ' Sangat Darshan' by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal after a number of persons alleged that false cases were registered against them during the previous Congress regime.

The 'Monitoring and Feedback Team' would have its headquarters here and will go to the spot to study the nature of complaint and would then submit a report to the government after checking the veracity of the complaint.

The 'Sangat Darshans' of the Chief Minister have been flooded with complaints of registeration of false cases and blatant use of muscle power during the Congress regime to grab land owned by widows, unattended old couples and destitute ladies.

The Chief Minister said that this team would selectively pickup two or three test cases and would go to the spot and without contacting the concerened district authorities would objectively study the case at the ground level and submit the report to him at the earliest.

The Chief Minister has been receiving on an average 15 to 20 complaints regarding land grab during Congress rule. There are another 20 to 30 cases regarding alleged registration of false cases at the behest of influential persons.

Taking a serious view of illegal sand querying by the building mafia in various 'choes' (seasonal water channels) in the state, the Chief Minister asked the Industry Department to launch a special campaign to check this illegal practice. The concerned District Industry and Mining officer should be made accountable for any lapse.

He also asked the Rural Development Department to ask the concerened Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADCs) to inquire into sale of Panchayat land and embezzlement of Panchayat money by the Sarpanches.

During the ''Sangat Darshan'' the SSP Ludhiana was asked to submit the report regarding harassment of a young bride by a NRI bridegroom. A delegation of retired police constables met the Chief Minister and pleaded for relaxation in the re-employment eligibility rules.

A delegation of handicapped government employees demanded raising their retirement age from 58 to 60 years and raising their compensation amount.

UNI