Chandigarh: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to former Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, a 1993-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, asking him to appear before the agency on September 7 in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities involving the Mohali-based Suntec City and Altus Space Builders Private Limited projects.
Verma was earlier summoned to appear at the ED’s Jalandhar office on August 31 but sought an adjournment, citing the need to compile documents sought by the agency. He has now been given a fresh date for appearance.
The probe is examining alleged violations related to Change of Land Use (CLU) permissions, layout modifications and development approvals associated with the projects. The agency is looking into the administrative decisions and records surrounding these matters.
Why Has Anurag Verma Been Summoned?
Verma was heading Punjab’s Housing and Urban Development Department during the period when the decisions under scrutiny were taken. The ED is examining the administrative trail to determine how the relevant permissions and changes were processed and whether rules were allegedly relaxed in favour of private developers.
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The investigation covers issues including:
- Alleged irregularities in Change of Land Use (CLU) permissions.
- Changes to approved layouts of real-estate projects.
- Development and regulatory approvals.
- The administrative decisions and officials involved in processing them.
- The alleged benefits accruing to private developers.
Suntec City, Altus Space Projects Under ED Scanner
The ED’s investigation covers alleged irregularities involving Suntec City and Altus Space Builders Private Limited in Mohali.
The agency is also examining the administrative history of changes to the approved layout of the Muirwood Ecocity project in New Chandigarh, including subsequent changes involving group housing sites.
The broader probe has brought the role of officials involved in land-use conversion, layout changes and regulatory decisions under scrutiny.
ED Probe Continues
Verma is the second Punjab-cadre IAS officer to be summoned in connection with the case. IAS officer Kanwal Preet Brar has also appeared before the ED and has been asked to provide additional records related to the investigation.
The ED’s probe is focused on establishing the sequence of administrative decisions surrounding land-use permissions, layout changes and other approvals. The allegations remain subject to investigation.
Who Is Anurag Verma?
Anurag Verma is a 1993-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. The Punjab government currently lists him as Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management.
He served as Chief Secretary of Punjab from July 2023 to February 2024 before moving to other senior administrative assignments.
Verma is a B.E./B.Tech graduate in Electronics and Communication Engineering and entered the IAS in September 1993.
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