Chandigarh, Dec. 11 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday stayed eviction orders passed by Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in respect of 60-odd properties against the occupants at Nangal town. The high court bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry also modified its order of December 1 in which it had ordered the eviction of three persons while dealing with a public interest litigation (PIL). The PIL had alleged that despite the eviction orders, the three settlers are continuing with the possession of properties which come under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The review application against the December 1 order was filed by the other property occupants, who had approached the high court stating that, in the garb of high court orders of December 1, the BBMB had passed eviction orders against 60-odd other properties on December 17. Appearing for the applicants, senior advocate Amit Jhanji had said that land was acquired by Punjab and given for project purposes. Since the land is in Punjab, ownership rights vest with the state. He had argued that the entire Nangal town would be affected if eviction proceedings were allowed to continue. Priyanka Kansal, who appeared with Jhanji, said that the applicants were settlers who had been occupying these premises since the time the dam project was developed. The eviction notices, in some cases, have been passed since 2003. However, later, a committee formed under high court orders had opined that the ownership of the land vests with Punjab and not with BBMB, even though management and administration were with the dam board. Kansal further said that land for the project was acquired in 1947 and leased out from time to time by BBMB to develop a township for workers, commercial purposes, and schools, hospitals, etc. However, in subsequent years, a dispute arose between Punjab and BBMB over ownership of the land surrounding this project. Approximately 70% of the land in Nangal is on lease, she said....