Punjab Vigilance Bureau Takes Action in Multi-Crore Land Compensation Scandal
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has officially registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the suspended Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Moga, Charumita Shekhar. The case centers on alleged serious irregularities in the approval of a Rs 3.7-crore compensation award for land acquisition related to the Dharamkot–Shahkot stretch of National Highway-703.
The Chain of Events and Procedural Lapses
This legal action follows a detailed joint inquiry conducted by the Revenue and Public Works Department (PWD). The inquiry uncovered that the land in question, measuring approximately two kanals, had already been acquired by the government way back in 1963 for road construction purposes.
Despite this historical acquisition, the same land parcel was mysteriously categorized as newly acquired in 2014. Subsequently, during the financial year 2020-21, a fresh compensation award worth a staggering Rs 3.63 crore was processed and approved for this 'new' acquisition. Officials state this was done allegedly without the crucial step of cross-verifying old revenue records.
Key Findings and Missing Documents
Adding to the complexity of the case, key documentary evidence from the original 1963 acquisition, including the official payment register, is now reported to be missing. At the time of the alleged misconduct, Charumita Shekhar was serving as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dharamkot. In her capacity, she had forwarded the compensation calculations to the PWD (NH) division for processing.
The procedural discrepancies were severe enough to prompt the PWD to submit a chargesheet in September of this year. This document pointed towards potential collusion and significant administrative failures in the approval process.
Legal Framework and Official Statements
The FIR has been registered under specific sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Sections 13(1)(a) and 13(7) pertain to criminal misconduct and the possession of assets disproportionate to known income by a public servant.
Manjeet Singh, the Vigilance Bureau SSP of Ferozepur Range, confirmed the development, stating, "The FIR was lodged late on Friday evening and our investigation is on." The state government had already taken disciplinary action by suspending ADC Charumita Shekhar on November 6.
How the Scam Came to Light
The entire controversy came into the open after the claimant approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking the compensation for the land that was notified as acquired in 2014. In response, both the state government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) informed the court that the land had, in fact, been acquired decades earlier by the then Land Acquisition Collector (LAC) of Jalandhar in 1963.
The investigation has been complicated by historical administrative boundaries. The area of Dharamkot was originally part of Zira in Ferozepur district and was later merged into Moga after it became a separate district.
