The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has expanded its investigation into the alleged industrial plots allotment scam involving the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC). The agency is now seeking records related to the controversial JCT land case, a deal that reportedly caused significant financial losses to the state government.
ED investigates JCT land sale in Mohali
The ED's widened probe now includes the sale of 31 acres of prime land belonging to the liquidated JCT Electronics in Mohali. The land was sold to a private realtor during the previous Congress government led by then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
According to the investigation, the deal took place while Sunder Shyam Arora served as the Industries Minister. Officials allege the transaction caused losses of over Rs 100 crore to the state exchequer.
Records of high-value industrial plots already obtained
ED officials stationed at the PSIEC head office have already secured records of 16 high-value industrial plots located in Mohali and Amritsar. These records form part of the broader investigation into how industrial plots were allotted during the period under scrutiny.
The probe is based on a 2024 FIR registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. The FIR alleged irregularities in the allotment process, prompting the central agency to step in and examine potential money laundering angles.
"The deal allegedly caused losses of over Rs 100 crore to the state exchequer." — Investigation records
Scope of the expanding PSIEC probe
The widening of the investigation signals that the ED is looking beyond the initial allegations. By seeking records on the JCT land case, the agency appears to be tracing a pattern of questionable land and plot transactions involving PSIEC during the previous government's tenure.
The JCT Electronics land was considered prime real estate in Mohali, a key industrial and commercial hub in Punjab. The sale to a private realtor at allegedly undervalued terms has become a focal point of the expanded inquiry.
Our Take: A probe that needs to go deeper
In our view, the ED's decision to widen the PSIEC probe is a positive step toward accountability. The alleged losses of over Rs 100 crore represent public money that should have benefited the state's industrial growth, not private interests.
To put it plainly, this investigation now touches on decisions made at the highest levels of the previous state government. The involvement of the Industries Minister's office in the JCT land deal raises serious questions about how industrial assets were managed and sold.
What readers should watch for is whether the ED's expanded probe leads to concrete action against those responsible. The records of 16 high-value plots already obtained suggest the agency is building a detailed case. For the people of Punjab, this is about ensuring that public land and resources are protected from misuse, regardless of which government is in power.
The investigation is ongoing, and more details are expected to emerge as the ED examines the JCT land records and other related transactions.
