*Police, Revenue officials’ nexus with mafia surfaces
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 18: Taking serious note of reports about land mafia encroaching upon State and Nazool land in and around Jammu city with the active assistance of officers and officials of the Revenue and Police Departments, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal has constituted a Joint Commission to identify the encroachers for stern legal action within shortest possible time.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Divisional Commissioner took the decision to constitute Joint Commission after the glaring instances of encroachment of State and Nazool land in and around Jammu city by the land mafia and other persons came to his notice.
Moreover, Regional Director, Survey and Land Records, who is also Ex-Officio Settlement Officer, Jammu has reported that Khasra Numbers 301, 302 and 303 in Nandini area near Gole Gujral have also been encroached upon by some persons including a senior police officer. He has specifically mentioned that heavy construction is going on in Khasra No 302.
“It seems that the concerned revenue authorities have done nothing to check these illegal activities and they are acting as mute spectator”, the Divisional Commissioner has noted with concern in the order No. 901/CC/Jammu/730-34 dated September 17, 2015.
Dubbing this as a very serious matter, the Divisional Commissioner said, “illegal acts of land mafia and other persons in encroaching sizable parts of State and Nazool land are causing serious loss to the interests of the State”, adding “the time has come to curb all such illegal activities under due process of law as expeditiously as possible”.
In order to identify all such encroachments over State and Nazool land in and around Jammu city and suggest legal action against the encroachers, the Divisional Commissioner has constituted a Joint Commission under the chairmanship of R K Shavan, Regional Director, Survey and Land Records, who is also Ex-Officio Settlement Officer, Jammu.
The members of the Joint Commission are Director, Land Management Jammu Development Authority, Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) and Assistant Commissioner (Nazool), Jammu.
“The Commission may co-opt revenue or non-revenue officers also in this process”, the Divisional Commissioner said with the direction to the Joint Commission to initiate enquiry in the matter immediately and submit first report by the end of current month. Deputy Commissioner Jammu has been directed by the Divisional Commissioner for providing all necessary assistance to the Commission for checking the menace of unauthorized encroachments and illegal constructions very effectively.
According to the sources, the encroachment in Khasra Nos. 301, 302 and 303 was detected by the Regional Director, Land Records and Surveys last month and accordingly he sounded the Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control vide communication No. RDS&LR/3/Estt/15/822-826 dated August 19, 2015 as the land being encroached has been recorded as “Gairmumkin Tawi” in the revenue records.
Though the Regional Director suggested immediate action for identification of encroachers to save the Government land, the Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control preferred to remain mum over the issue, sources said, adding this prompted the Regional Director, Survey and Land Records to dash one more communiqué No. RDS&LR/J/2015/508-12 dated September 11, 2015 to the Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department.
While reiterating prompt action, the Regional Director clearly stated in the communication that in Khasra No.302 some constructions are being made by utilizing Government vehicles. “Probably some Government servants and employees are making encroachment and you are requested to depute subordinate team to the site and seek proper identification and demarcation of the site with the assistance of local revenue staff so that the Government land is saved at the earliest”, reads the communication of Regional Director to the Chief Engineer.
Apprehending no response from the Chief Engineer, the Regional Director even wrote to the Divisional Commissioner mentioning that during Settlement Operations, it was observed that large chunk of State/Shamilat lands have been encroached by the land mafia and the Revenue/Police Department officials are hand in globe.
“Recently some constructions have been observed in Khasra No.302 bordering village Nandini where Government vehicles have been put into service for carrying construction materials”, the communication said.
Based on the communication of Regional Director and reports from various other quarters, the Divisional Commissioner has decided to tighten noose around the encroachers and to achieve this objective he has constituted the Joint Commission.
“If the Government extends required support to the initiative of the Divisional Commissioner, the encroachment of State and Nazool land would be checked up to large extend”, sources said.
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