AMRITSAR: The meteoric rise of the 18-year-old Maninderjit Singh Bitta in the Youth Congress is primarily due to is bold stance against the Sikh militants and in the process his associates appear to have amassed considerable
Besides his providential escapes from the jaws of death Amritsar is also rife with talks of Bitta who as a student could barely afford to get his scooter tank topped-up with gasoline.
Son of a retired labor-officer the Youth Congress leader is alleged to have been involved in several land grab cases in connivance with his true colors. A Congress MLA says an inquiry into his assets will reveal his true colors. However Chief Minister Beam Singh with whom he has estranged relations is yet to take any action.
Bitta denies charges of having amassed property by misusing his clout. All this is propaganda by my political detractors. i will quit politics if a single charge against me ix proved right he declared.
However all investigations point the needle of Suspicion to Bitta and his family members. The Youth Congress leader reportedly used his influence to help his uncle purchase about 8800 Square yards of land near Medical College Amritsar after managing to get an improvement Trust scheme dropped in May 1993. Interestingly the Improvement Trust thought it prudent 10 develop another Scheme in the vicinity Earlier it is said that Bitta got the building housing the office of the divisional town planner and the Afghan Airlines at the site vacated and then demolished. The land bought for Rs 80 lakh is worth Rs 5 crore now.
The most glaring wrong-doing which is also the subject of inquiry by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau relates to an 800 square yards plot No.38) in Krishna Square area of Amritsar. Worth Rs 30 lakh it was allotted to Bittas father Sarbjit Singh Chopra by the Improvement Trust under the local displaced persons (LDP) scheme on the basis of a will of a 14-year-old whose authenticity is doubtful
In & meeting of the Improvement Trust on January 6 last year the allotment was stopped following doubts regarding the authenticity of the will of the person who had died. However in its meeting held in May 1993 the allotment was made incidentally the Chairman of the Trust K.S. Grewal retired a month later. Vigilance Bureau registered a regular inquiry a few Months ago after investigations and evidence of the deceased’s brother. However Bitta is categorical har there was no plot in the name of his father under the LDP scheme.
The Youth Congress president was reportedly Instrumental in the allot ment of a petrol pump to his in-taws on the Chandigarh-Shimla highway at Manimajra. The union territory Administration altered the site plan to accommodate the pump at the site Bitta however denies owing petrol pump at Minimajra
On the charge that he was given a gas agency (Chopra) at Amritsar when he was the president of the Punjab Youth Congress Bitta admits having been allotted the agency but claims that he was not even an office-bearer of the party.
Sources say that Bittas associates purchase-disputed buildings and then use his influence and security cover to get them vacated. The LIC building which is among the oldest buildings or the Mall Road at Amritsar is a classic ease.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 13, 1994
