New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) A social media post by former national-level cricketer Pulkit Sharma sparked a fresh debate over alleged corruption in land registration processes in Punjab, after he detailed his personal experience of navigating the system.

Taking to X, Sharma claimed he was compelled to pay bribes to multiple officials despite his property documents being fully legitimate.

Describing the ordeal, he wrote that payments had to be made not just to a tehsildar but to “over two dozen others,” adding that “everyone has their rate fixed” and that even a minor misstep could result in files being deliberately stalled. Calling the experience “shameful,” he further alleged that investing in Punjab felt “criminal” despite the transaction being completely transparent.

“I recently completed a Registration for a Land in Punjab. The amount of bribe we had to pay to the Teshsildar and + 28 other people was insane. The lawyer said everyone has their rate fixed. Even one miss step? Your file will be stuck. The Land I bought was WHITE. For something so transparent, I had to pay bribes to the crooked Punjab Administration. It’s criminal to invest in Punjab. SHAMEFUL,” Sharma posted on X.

The post quickly became viral online, but people had different opinions about it. While a lot of people agreed with the concerns about how inefficient the government is, some people disagreed. One person said that these kinds of things keep happening because people choose to go along with them instead of fighting them. They said they had gone through a similar registration process without having to pay any extra money.

In response to the criticism, Sharma stuck to his guns and went into more detail about what he called a deeply entrenched system. He said that brokers work openly outside tehsil offices with set rates, and that officials keep raising objections, even after the documents are checked, until the payments are made. He also said that delays are often planned, with officials showing up late, not responding, and holding up files to put pressure on people.

–IANS

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