<span style="color: #222222;">The Enforcement Directorate, ED today said that assets of nearly 22 crore rupees were attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in an alleged corruption case related to the widening of the NH-74 in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.<br />''  <br />'' The attached properties belong to special land acquisition officers, landowners, farmers and middlemen. The assets include agricultural and industrial land, commercial plots and buildings located in Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand and Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh.<br />'' <br />'' ED said, deposits in 11 bank accounts and mutual funds have also been attached.<br />'' <br />'' The central probe agency said it initiated the probe under the PMLA in the case on the basis of an FIR and charge sheet filed by the Uttarakhand Police against Dinesh Pratap Singh, revenue officials, farmers and middlemen.<br />'' <br />'' ED said, Singh and Anil Shukla, officials working in the capacity of competent authority of land acquisition then, entered into a conspiracy with other public servants, farmers and middlemen for misappropriation of government funds by granting compensation at non-agricultural rate. It said, the compensation at non-agricultural rate is much higher than the agricultural rate.<br />'' <br />'' ED Said, the higher compensation was paid on the basis of backdated order passed under section 143 of the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari and Land Reform Act, 1950 for changing the land use from agriculture to non-agriculture and subsequent backdated entries in revenue records and documents.<br />'' <br />'' The agency said, these forged or backdated documents were projected as genuine at the time of awarding the compensation which resulted in the loss of over 215 crore rupees to the government.<br />'' <br />'' The ED said it was found in the probe that the farmers and the landowners who got higher compensation had utilised the excess amount in buying immovable properties, making deposits in bank and giving commission to revenue officers.</span><br />