Punjab Government Initiates Auction of Controversial Shamlat Land in Mohali

The administration has once again intensified action regarding the disputed shamlat (common) land of Daidi village in Mohali with a decision taken to conduct an open auction of the panchayat land that has remained embroiled in controversy for a long time. The district administration, through the Deputy Commissioner’s office, has officially issued an auction notice detailing the date, venue, and conditions. Earlier, the land had come under the spotlight after a reputed builder company allegedly carved out showrooms on the shamlat land . The company was reportedly l inked to a Congress leader, triggering a major controversy and giving the issue a political dimension. Following fresh directions from the Rural Development and Panchayats Department of the Punjab government, the process for auctioning the land has now been initiated. According to the notice, 43 kanal 3 marla (over five acres) of shamlat land belonging to Gram Panchayat Daidi will be sold through open auction. The government has fixed the reserve price at Rs 39,24,75,072 (Rs 39.24 crore) per acre. The auction will be held on February 26 at 11 am in Committee Room No. 256, Deputy Commissioner’s Office, District Administrative Complex, Sector 76, Mohali. Interested bidders must deposit 25 per cent of the reserve price as security within 10 days of the publication of the notice through a bank draft. Even before the auction, questions have begun to surface over the price fixed by the administration. The reserve price of over Rs 39.24 crore per acre for the panchayat land is reportedly several times higher than the prevailing market rate, which is said to be between Rs 8 crore and Rs 10 crore per acre in the area. Farmers, landowners, and local residents have raised concerns, stating that “due to political interference, the price of this panchayat land has been pushed sky-high”. They pointed out that when the auction was previously cancelled, the land was priced at around Rs 20 crore per acre, but the sharp increase now has raised doubts about the transparency of the auction process and dissatisfaction over land valuation in the region. Locals also noted that although the land parcel is relatively small, its valuation running into crores indicates that land prices in the area may be significantly higher. The issue is expected to trigger further political and social debate in the coming days.