Chandigarh, Aug. 20 -- Former Haryana finance minister Sampat Singh on Wednesday said the Supreme Court's August 3 ruling regarding shamlat land has raised serious questions about the manner in which valuable shamlat deh (village commons) in Panchkula and revenue records have been handled. Reacting to a Hindustan Times news report of August 19, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader in a statement said Haryana should undertake a comprehensive review of disputed shamlat lands, particularly in rapidly urbanising areas where land values have multiplied following SC's ruling. "The apex court has opened the door for fresh scrutiny. Now the state government must have the courage to follow the law wherever it leads even when influential private interests are involved," the former minister said. "This is a test of the Haryana government's commitment to protecting public property. Prime public land belongs to the people, not to politically or commercially powerful interests. Every inch of shamlat land must be protected, and any manipulation of old revenue records, mutations or possession claims must be thoroughly investigated," Singh said. The INLD leader said the top court ruling should be a wake-up call for the state government. "The government must ensure that the interests of powerful private entities do not override the rights of village communities and the public exchequer,'' he said. He demanded an independent examination of the entire revenue record, starting from the original records. Singh said if any entry, mutation or transaction is found to be contrary to law, responsibility must be fixed and public interest protected....