Jalandhar: The Lovely Professional University (LPU), owned by a Rajya Sabha member of the Aam Aadmi Party, has now come under the scanner for encroaching upon panchayat land.
However, the rural development and panchayat department is reportedly not showing any speed in getting the land vacated.
As per the documents received, the issue came to light during a meeting chaired by Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal on June 3. The minister had also issued instructions to the concerned officials to immediately vacate the panchayat land from the possession of LPU but the departmental officials of the ministry in Jalandhar and Kapurthala started dragging their feet in the matter and failed to take any steps to free the panchayat land.
Taking cognizance of the issue, the Chandigarh-based Encroachment Removal Cell has now sought an action taken report from the District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO), Jalandhar. In this regard, Jalandhar DDPO Gurpreet Singh said that the land concerned falls under Kapurthala district. Kapurthala DDPO Harjinder Singh Sandhu said that the development and panchayat officer who went to see the opportunity told him that a part of the panchayat land falls in village Hardaspur which is under the possession of LPU.
He said he has asked the village panchayat to file a case against the encroachment.