category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Saturday said it has booked 42 people for usurping Rs 64 crore in the Jalandhar-Chintpurni highway compensation scam. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the vigilance bureau, during its investigation, found that the record was found to be missing from the office of the sub-divisional magistrate and tehsildar of Hoshiarpur. The then SDM Anand Sagar Sharma fraudulently changed the draft plan prepared by Louis Berger company, and illegally released compensation amounting to Rs 64 crore to his known persons who purchased the land in the new road alignment. Out of 42 persons booked, eight have been arrested, the bureau said in a statement. During investigation, it was found that Sharma changed the highway alignment in five villages Khawaspur, Digana Kalan, Digana Khurd, Hardo Khanpur and Khasra of Bassi Jana Chohli in schedule 3-A prepared by him which did not correspond to the origin draft A prepared by Louis Berger Company after a survey. After receiving the said draft, Sharma was supposed to verify the documents recorded in it, but he kept the said draft schedule pending in his office for more than four months. Sharma, by taking false reports from his subordinate Patwari , wrongly changed the nature of land from agriculture to residential and commercial and prepared a false variation certificate in this regard, the statement said. Later, the said SDM, further conniving with the land mafia, illegally disbursed compensation of Rs 64.13 crore at the residential rates for the land which was published as agricultural land in the notifications. It also came to light that Sharma, while preparing the draft conspired with his known persons to usurp the compensation amount, to be given to the original land owners in exchange for the said five villages. After giving the confidential information to his close associates by Sharma, they further contacted the original land owners and purchased lands from them in connivance with revenue officials, said the bureau. (editor dailyworld.in)