PUDA to get back 35 acres from Radhasoamis

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040921/cth3.htm
PUDA to get back 35 acres from Radhasoamis
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 20
After remaining a bone of contention for years over 35 acres of prime land, reportedly in the unauthorised possession of the Radhasoami Satsang Beas Management here would be ‘returned’ to Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA).

It is learnt that an undertaking to this effect had been given by the management following a meeting with Minister of Urban Housing and Development Raghunath Sahai Puri to solve the issue amiably. The land would be in PUDA’s possession by October 31, and has already been planned for the construction of cooperative housing buildings and institutions.

Sources said Radhasoami Beas Management owned a large chunk of land near Sohana village before PUDA acquired the area. However as part of an internal adjustment done in 2001, PUDA granted 200 acres of land to the management at the same spot in exchange for the other pieces of land owned by the management elsewhere in Mohali.

In fact the deal was in PUDA’s favour. We exchanged 200 acres of consolidated land for almost 235 acres of unconsolidated land owned by the management in Mohali. Other than this, the management was asked to pay external development charges to the tune of over Rs 2 Crore, which they did,’’stated a source in PUDA.

However, while the management took possession of the 200 acres of land, it continued to hold on to over 35 acres of adjoining extra land that they had formally owned but did not form a part of the fresh allotment. This land fell within the boundary walls of the dera which was later constructed here and was subsequently declared encroached upon by PUDA. A number of notices were also issued to the management to shift its boundary wall and hand over the excess land to PUDA. However the management showed its inability to give the land back.

The management’s plea was also not baseless. They pointed out that almost eight acres of land out of the 200 acres allotted to them was under litigation by the original owners and following a stay order, they could not use it as planned. They also said this piece was to be used for the construction of an office complex within the dera, and since a new office complex could not be constructed, they continued to use the old office complex that fell within this 35 acres of land that they had erstwhile owned,’’explained a PUDA source.