Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 26: In order to conduct in-depth probe into the multi-crore Roshni land scam, the State Vigilance Organization (SVO) has chalked-out multi-pronged strategy and the Special Investigation Teams (SITs) have been directed to focus mainly on 11 major factors so as to get into the roots of the fraud.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that on the receipt of communication along with the report of Principal Accountant General (Audit) about the alleged irregularities in the transfer of land under much-hyped Roshni Scheme and consequent loss to the exchequer, the State Vigilance Organization started verification into the matter.
However, the State Vigilance Commission desired the State Vigilance Organization to focus only on the issues and occurrences which prima-facie disclose existence of dishonest intention and ulterior motives of conferring undue benefit upon the allotees causing loss to the State exchequer, sources said.
Accordingly, the Vigilance Organization chalked out its multi-pronged strategy and now the Special Investigation Teams (SITs) headed by concerned Branch SSPs have been directed to focus mainly on 11 parameters for in-depth probe into the ‘biggest ever’ land scam in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The investigation into the scam, which has been initially started in the districts of Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, Srinagar, Budgam and Pulwama, will pick up momentum as and when the Deputy Commissioners of these districts furnish the requisite record for which the State High Court has given explicit directions”, sources said.
The cases which were approved for grant of ownership rights without these having been cleared by all the members of the committee constituted for the purpose under Section 12 of J&K State Lands (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, 2001 and the cases where Nazool land in Jammu and Srinagar districts had been approved by the Deputy Commissioners without the prior approval of the prescribed authority—Divisional Commissioner will receive the priority attention, sources said.
During investigation, the Vigilance Organization will also lay focus on the cases where the prescribed committees have approved different rates for the same land falling in the same area in respect of different allotees and cases where cost of land approved for allotment by the committee has been received but not remitted to the Account Head 8229 (110).
Stating that huge chunk of land has been regularized in excess of the ceiling of land prescribed under Sub-Section 2 of Section 8 of the Act, they said, “this will also be the priority area for the SITs besides the cases where the land more than 10 kanals within the limits of Jammu Development Authority and Srinagar Development Authority has been regularized”.
The SITs will also zero-in on the cases where the prospective owners have been conferred ownership rights in excess of the land actually under their physical possession as Principal Accountant General has pointed out glaring irregularities in this regard in order to confer undue benefit upon some people.
In response to a question, sources said, “excess rebate and unwarranted slashing of rates will also be important areas of investigation as PAG has pointed out that in several cases rebate over and above the rebate prescribed under Rules had been allotted on payment of determined prices by the prospective owners”, adding “the PAG has also detected unwarranted slashing of rates determined earlier by the committee constituted for Jammu district, by the committee framed for Samba after its up-gradation as a Revenue District”.
Among the parameters, which will remain on focus during investigation also include the cases where for the purposes of determination of the rates the status of commercial land has been changed to institutional, religious and residential and residential land to agricultural land with the motive of conferring undue benefit upon the prospective owners, sources said.
The cases where land has been allotted in violation of Prevention of Ribbon Development Act and Sub-Section 1-A of Section 4 of Roshni Scam and cases where under Section 13 of the Act, the occupant has neither deposited the cost of land as determined under the Act nor has he been dispossessed of such land by the Tehsildar having jurisdiction in the area are also being looked into by the Vigilance Organization.
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