Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 5: Divisional Commissioner Jammu and Vice-Chairman Jammu Development Authority today submitted before the High Court that over 32000 kanals of JDA land has been demarcated in Jammu and Samba districts.
The status report in this regard was submitted in the much publicized Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting encroachment of 20 lakh kanals of State land by the powerful land mafia in league with politicians, revenue and police officers.
In the status report, it has been disclosed that in Jammu district 26518 kanals and 06 marlas of JDA land has already been reported as demarcated and now additional 4000 kanals have been delineated for handing over possession to JDA which is being jointly and actively reconciled with regard to area to be put in possession of JDA.
“In number of places the land abuts forest land which necessitates reconciliation to arrive at clear cut position”, the status report said, adding in Samba district in addition to 6094 kanals and 03 marlas already reported to be demarcated, efforts have been made to reconcile additional 2000 kanals demarcated by Revenue Department with JDA.
It was further submitted that after joint operation of Revenue and JDA more than 250 kanals JDA, Forest and State Land has been retrieved in village Dwara. “A period of one month is required for reconciliation in these villages to arrive at a reconciled figure”, the report said.
Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocates Rahul Raina and Supriya Chouhan appearing for the petitioner submitted that the JDA and Revenue Department are lagging behind the schedule fixed by the Division Bench then headed by Chief Justice Badar Durez Ahmed and in fact the schedule fixed by the Division Bench has already expired.
Advocate Ahmed further submitted that appropriate directions are required to be issued to the JDA as well as Deputy Commissioners of Jammu and Samba to expedite the ongoing demarcation exercise so that the JDA land encroached by the land mafia worth crores of rupees is retrieved.
“So far big sharks have been spared and only small fries are being targeted and the demarcation so far has hit the poor and nomads”, Advocate Ahmed said, adding “Divisional Commissioner Jammu should file a comprehensive affidavit giving Khasra wise/Village wise detail of the land so far demarcated/retrieved”.
Senior AAG S S Nanda appearing for the State Government submitted that officers of the Revenue Department are engaged in the ongoing election process and sometime be granted to carry out the directions of the court.
He further submitted that the election process will be over within three weeks and thereafter the demarcation exercise will be expedited.
At this stage Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocate Sumit Nayyar caused appearance on behalf of some newly impleaded respondents and was allowed three weeks time to file reply in the matter.
After considering the submissions of both the sides, the Division Bench allowed three weeks time to all the counsels appearing for the parties to file their pleadings to the PIL and further directed the Registry to re-notify the instant PIL on November 7, 2018 for further consideration.
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