Punjab cabinet approves policy to recover charges for encroached common land, clears OTS schemes and sanction against Dharamsot
Chandigarh, September 25: The Punjab Council of Ministers, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Thursday approved a new policy that empowers the state government to recover charges from colonisers who have illegally occupied land meant for common roads and water channels.
The decision, seen as part of the government’s efforts to check unauthorised colonies and reclaim common resources, will introduce a system of district-level Price Fixation Committees. These committees, headed by the deputy commissioners, will assess the market value of such encroached land. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that colonisers found guilty of occupying these lands will have to pay four times the rate determined by the committees. The move is expected to bring accountability in land use and deter further illegal encroachments.
The Cabinet also cleared two one-time settlement (OTS) schemes to provide relief to industries and traders burdened by past dues. The first scheme will benefit 1,688 rice sheller owners who had defaulted on payments. Under this, the government has waived off interest and penalties, and the defaulters will only be required to pay 50 per cent over and above the principal amount. The government believes this will not only help revive struggling shellers but also ensure recovery of pending dues without prolonged litigation.
A second OTS scheme, approved for 20,039 traders, relates to defaults under pre-GST tax laws. Many traders had accumulated arrears during the VAT and other pre-GST regimes. The Cabinet decision provides them an opportunity to regularise their accounts and make payments under a structured settlement plan. Officials said the step would ease compliance burdens while also securing state revenue.
In another significant decision, the Cabinet approved the prosecution sanction against former Congress minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot. The senior leader, who held the portfolio of Forests and Social Welfare in the previous Congress government (2017–2022), has been accused of embezzlement and irregularities during his tenure. The approval paves the way for legal proceedings against him. Dharamsot had earlier faced action in a separate case linked to alleged misuse of funds in the post-matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Castes, which drew sharp criticism during the Congress regime.
The sanction against Dharamsot is being seen as part of the Mann government’s broader narrative of acting against corruption and financial irregularities during the previous administration. A senior official said that the state intends to “send a strong message of zero tolerance” in matters of graft and misappropriation of public money.
The Cabinet meeting also reviewed other policy matters, including pending proposals concerning regularisation of colonies and measures to boost state revenue. While the government has positioned the latest steps as efforts to “clean the system,” political observers noted that the decisions come at a time when the AAP government is under pressure to strengthen its fiscal position amid high expenditure commitments on social welfare schemes.
With the land encroachment policy, two OTS schemes, and the prosecution clearance against a former minister, the Mann government has tried to signal both administrative firmness and financial pragmatism.