Chandigarh, Nov 22 (IANS): The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday condemned the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government’s move to "defraud" under-privileged sections of society by allowing private builders to buy back chunks of land which had been reserved for housing for economically weaker sections (EWS).

In a statement here, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema while demanding a high-level probe into the proposal which smacked of corruption and kickbacks, said the AAP government had made it clear that it was in the business of raising money for the party’s profligacy and was least concerned about the welfare of the poorer sections.

Cheema also appealed to the state Cabinet not to approve the proposal, saying the AAP government could not strike a death blow on the aspirations of the weaker sections to own houses under the EWS scheme.

"This proposal to auction off land reserved for building houses for the EWS in private projects is a clear message to the ‘Aam Adami’ that they should stop dreaming of owning a small shelter near high-end flats."

Asserting that the proposal would not pass legal scrutiny, the SAD leader said: "Private builders were given additional benefits to offset the losses caused to them for building housing under the EWS scheme in their residential colonies. The government also derived political capital by publicising the scheme. Now, when the residential areas have been developed and sold at huge profits, a plan is afoot to sell this land back to the private developers and throw the weaker sections out of the scheme and force them to accept alternative accommodation in far-off undeveloped areas."

Asserting that SAD would oppose this scheme tooth and nail, Cheema said instead of approving this proposal, the Cabinet should institute an inquiry to probe on what basis this nefarious scheme had been proposed to rob the poor of the right to housing under the EWS scheme. He said all those behind this anti-poor proposal should be exposed and punished appropriately.