Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 16: Division Bench of State High Court comprising Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Janak Raj Kotwal today granted two weeks time to Secretaries of the General Administration, Housing and Revenue Departments for filing response to a Miscellaneous Petition filed in the much publicized Public Interest Litigation highlighting alleged hushing up of Chatta Sunjwan land scam.
In the Miscellaneous Petition, it has been submitted that concerned authorities of the Jammu Development Authority have failed to take action against M/s SRK Associates despite explicit directions from the Housing and Urban Development Department.
When the Miscellaneous Petition came up for hearing, Advocate S S Ahmed appearing for the petitioner invited the attention of the Division Bench towards the communication No.U&D/15/2008/JDA/AS-32 dated February, 5, 2008 issued by Housing and Urban Development Department whereby the then VC JDA was intimated about the meeting taken by the then Advocate General on January, 2, 2008 in the building permission case of M/s SRK Associates.
“In that meeting it was felt that the building permission granted by JDA in favour of M/s SRK Associates was inconsistent with the provisions of law and rules and the then VC JDA was accordingly requested to take further necessary action by putting on hold the building permission till further instructions”, Advocate Ahmed said, adding “despite the categoric directions of the Housing and Urban Development Department, the then VC JDA did not initiate any action against M/s SRK Associates and the same was confirmed by Secretary JDA vide his letter No.Secy/JDA/RTI/507/468 dated July 23, 2015 in response to petitioner’s RTI Application”.
In the Miscellaneous Petition, it has also been submitted that M/s SRK Associates has disclosed in its application for impleadment that they are co-owner of the land measuring 724 kanals situated at Sunjwan and the land is in the shape of Gair Mumkin Khad, Banjar Qadeem and Slope. The counsel for the petitioner further submitted that 724 kanals of land is in excess of the ceiling prescribed under Section 2(1) of J&K Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976 and the excess land is required to be retrieved from M/s SRK Associates.
After considering the submissions of Advocate S S Ahmed, the Division Bench issued notices to the Secretaries of General Administration Department, Housing and Urban Development Department, Revenue Department, Vice Chairman JDA, Ram Kumar, son of Paras Ram of M/s SRK Associates, Mohd Iqbal Zargar, the then Patwari Sunjwan and Mohan Singh, the then Patwari Sunjwan with the direction to file response within a period of two weeks.
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