Chandigarh: Taking note of the alleged Rs 77.99 crore land scam involving the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Friday questioned chief minister Bhagwant Mann ’s silence on the matter.




Reacting to a letter written by the Jalandhar Zone of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the Mohali SSP, seeking the registration of an FIR against PCA, Dhillon stated, “Another new scandal involving this govt has come to light. The PCA president and his son are senior leaders of the AAP and are on the ED’s radar.”




He added, “The alleged land scam has exposed the AAP govt’s Punjab model. The ED’s preliminary investigation revealed shocking details. During the tenure of Amarjeet Mehta and Padamjeet Mehta, land was allegedly purchased from farmers in Ajnala and Bathinda at low prices and subsequently sold to the PCA at a 15.4 times higher price.”




Dhillon stated, “CM Bhagwant Mann must explain whether this is what he calls his Punjab model. He must also explain how land prices increased 15-fold within just four months.”




“The investigation has revealed that the PCA purchased 155 kanals and 15 marlas of land in Ajnala for Rs 58 crore and 100 kanals and 10 marlas of land in Bathinda for approximately Rs 19.76 crore. A few months earlier, two companies had purchased this land from farmers at significantly lower prices. One company purchased 61 kanals of land from farmers at Rs 2.22 lakh per kanal, for a total of Rs 1.36 crore, and sold it to the PCA four months later at Rs 37.4 lakh per kanal for Rs 12.03 crore. Similarly, another company purchased 224 kanals of land from farmers for Rs 5.56 crore and subsequently sold it to the PCA for Rs 46.18 crore,” he added.




Dhillon alleged this was “yet another example of a govt involved in cash-for-favours transactions”. “A govt which claimed it would promote cricket has now turned the PCA into a factory for exploiting farmers,” said the BJP functionary.




He questioned the state govt and demanded that it explain where the money allegedly extracted from farmers had gone. Dhillon said the BJP demanded that the Mohali SSP immediately register an FIR in the case. He also called for a time-bound investigation and strict action against those found guilty.