- — Investigation finds 10,365 kanals of Shamlat land transferred illegally to private persons: ACS Anurag Verma
- — Punjab government, headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, reaffirms its commitment to abolishing corruption and holding people accountable
- — ACS Anurag Verma serves a strong warning to Deputy Commissioners against corruption and delay in land registration
- — Installation of CCTV cameras made compulsory in Sub-Registrar/Joint Sub-Registrar offices to ensure transparency and prevent corruption
ACS Anurag Verma’s Crackdown: Naib Tehsildar Suspended in Scam. Naib Tehsildar Suspended in Shamlat Land Scam Two Days After ACS Anurag Verma’s Warning to Deputy Commissioners on Corruption. Reiterating the Punjab government’s ‘zero tolerance towards corruption’ policy, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS)-cum-Financial Commissioner Revenue (FCR) Anurag Verma has directed the removal of Naib Tehsildar Varinderpal Singh Dhoot for illegally allotting Shamlat land to private persons in village Sionk, Kharar.
The move against Naib Tehsildar Dhoot comes after a thorough investigation, which held him guilty of going against the Punjab Village Common Lands Act, 1961. The probe revealed that during his tenure in Majri, SAS Nagar, Dhoot had sanctioned mutation number 1767 on September 28, 2016, for transferring the ownership of 10,365 kanals and 19 marlas of Shamlat land in village Sionk, Tehsil Kharar, to private parties.
The inquiry also established that this mutation was sanctioned against explicit orders made by the Punjab Revenue Department and a Supreme Court judgment in the Jagpal Singh vs Punjab case (2011), which specifically banned the mutation or transfer of Shamlat land to private parties.
An inquiry led by retired Additional District and Sessions Judge B.R. Bansal revealed that Dhoot not only approved the illicit mutation but also manipulated land records by raising or lowering shares of ownership without verifying it. In a few cases, people with no rightful claim were included as shareholders.
Referring to Dhoot’s conduct as “malafide,” FCR Anurag Verma, in his order of dismissal, said, “The government has taken a zero-tolerance approach towards such malpractices. Given the facts and circumstances, as the competent authority, I direct the dismissal of Naib Tehsildar (suspended) Varinderpal Singh Dhoot from government service under Sub-rule 5 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970.”
This move is just two days after ACS-cum-FCR Anurag Verma directed all Deputy Commissioners (DCs) against corruption and undue delay in plot registration without No Objection Certificates (NOCs). This was done after reports of corruption and delay in registration despite a government notification in November 2024.
Earlier, ACS-cum-FCR Anurag Verma had also suspended Tehsildar Ranjit Singh for registering property documents fraudulently in Jagraon while being physically present at the Ludhiana East Tehsil office. Ranjit Singh had registered documents in Jagraon at 5:12 PM and, four minutes later, registered another document in Ludhiana East at 5:16 PM, an act considered humanly impossible.
Reaffirming the Punjab government’s strong determination to eradicate corruption and maintain absolute compliance with law and administrative rules, FCR Anurag Verma affirmed that no such officer or employee engaged in corrupt practices or other illegal acts would be spared. Stringent action would be pursued against the transgressors.
In another major step towards increasing transparency and preventing corruption, ACS-cum-FCR has directed the installation of four Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in every Sub-Registrar and Joint Sub-Registrar office in the state. Deputy Commissioners have been directed to take charge of the CCTV feed and carry out frequent live monitoring to ensure that Sub-Registrars and Joint Sub-Registrars are available in their offices and citizens are not subjected to avoidable delays or inconvenience in their official work.
