Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday issued notices to Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) and M/s Omaxe Limited,New Delhi on accusations of fraud allegedly committed by the company in connivance with state authorities. In a public interest litigation,three residents of Patiala have alleged that the state authorities committed a fraud on the public by acquiring land of residents of Patiala under the garb of public purpose and then handed it over to M/s Omaxe,which earned profit of over Rs 300 crore by selling off plots. The petitioners have demanded quashing of joint development agreement dated November 16,2006 executed between PUDA and M/x Omaxe terming the agreement as illegal,arbitrary and against the public interest. The petitioners are agriculturists and owners of agricultural land at Village Baran,District Patiala. In 2002,the Punjab government issued a notification for acquisition of 343 acres of land in Patiala on the ground that land is required for public purpose. The Punjab government had stated in the notification that the land is required for setting up of integrated township at village Baran,District Patiala. After acquisition,the state paid a compensation of Rs 27 crore to farmers,owners of the land. The petitioner alleged that after acquiring the land,Patiala Development Authority sold the said development scheme to M/s Omaxe under the garb of joint development agreement giving complete right of marketing and selling plots of the said scheme to private developer and having 85 per cent share of M/s Omaxe Limited in revenue from the sale of residential plots of above development scheme.
