97 kanals State land identified for cattle pound
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 11: Division Bench of the State High Court comprising First Puisne Judge Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta today directed Divisional Commissioner, Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation , Deputy Commissioner Jammu and Senior Superintendent of Police Jammu to take over possession of 97 kanals of State land situated at village Seri Khurd in tehsil Nagrota, which has been identified for cattle pound within a period of 10 days.
While expressing displeasure over the lackadaisical approach of the authorities in not taking over the possession of land , the Division Bench made it clear that in case the possession of the land is not taken within 10 days from today then adverse orders shall follow against the senior functionaries of the State on the next date of hearing.
These directions were passed in the much publicized Public Interest Litigation filed by an NGO “SAVE” through its Chairperson Devinder Kour Madaan alias Rumpy Madaan, seeking directions to the Jammu Municipal Corporation, to establish a modern cattle pound for housing more than 3000 stray cattle.
In the PIL, the primary relief is to ensure the closure of 59 illegal milk dairies operating within the limits of Jammu Municipal Corporation. The PIL further seeks re-location of the milk dairies outside the limits of JMC.
When the PIL came up for hearing, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocates Supriya Chouhan and Suraj Singh appearing for the petitioner, drew the attention of the Division Bench towards the order dated July 31, 2018 wherein the Division Bench had granted two weeks time to the Jammu Municipal Corporation to take over the possession of 97 kanals of State land with the assistance of SSP Jammu.
The Division Bench had also directed that the Divisional Commissioner Jammu as well as Commissioner JMC to file an affidavit with regard to the compliance of this order by or before the next date of hearing.
Advocate Ahmed vociferously argued that there is complete non – compliance of the directions passed by the Division Bench on July 31, 2018, adding “it is unfortunate that Commissioner JMC wrote a communication to Divisional Commi-ssioner Jammu, Deputy Commis-sioner Jammu and SSP Jammu only on September 1, 2018 regarding the issue of cattle pound and till date the possession of the land has not been taken over by JMC”.
He further submitted that the Divisional Commissioner has also expressed casual approach towards the directions of the Division Bench as he has not filed his own affidavit as directed on July 31, 2018.
“Since the land is located near IIT Jagti ( Nagrota ) the land mafia is not allowing the authorities to take over the possession of the land and the political pressure upon the authorities is also not ruled out”, Advocate Ahmed said.
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