There is nothing startling in the revelation that grabbing of prime lands in the State with impunity is the handiwork of land mafia in which big fish are involved. People with political clout and approach in corridors of power have the audacity of attacking the police force when the latter are ordered to clear the structures illegally raised by the land grabbers on Government land. Thousands of kanals of land in the State are illegally seized for quite a long time and authorities are not having power enough to deal with the land grabbers. The reality is that the land grabbers enjoy strong political clout. They misuse their influence and position for self aggrandizement.
The case in point is of 400 kanals of prime land belonging to Jammu Development Authority and Revenue Training Institute under Khasra No.746 min situated at Gole Gujral near SOS School. The Government had decided to raise a colony on this land for the SC and Backward Classes. JDA issued orders of demolishing the structures illegally raised on this chunk of land. Previously only kacha structures were raised by the land grabbers but finding no reaction from the Government or the JDA, the land grabber were emboldened to turn the kacha structures into pucca ones. However when the JDA dispatched its work force to demolish the illegal structures, they were attacked by the miscreants with the result that they had to retire and inform the Department of the current situation under which the land grabbers were trying to hoodwink the Government.
We have elaborate land record in the State and actually the job was done by an Englishman named Mr. Lawrence during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh. It is called Land Settlement Record and this record is maintained by the Revenue Department of the State. There is an elaborate mechanism that leaves no doubt about the entitlement which means that records show which land belong to whom. Normally this record is considered the most dependable and authentic record and evidence of land holdings in the State. As such, there should be no difficulty to ascertain whether the grabbed land belongs to the land grabber or to the Government agency which could be the Forest, Tourism, Awqaf, Nazul or any other agency. Tampering with revenue records is not possible and even if it has happened, it can be easily detected and rectified. As such one fails to understand how come that ownership is disputed and the court is not able to resolve it.
There is not much weight in the statement of any officer of Jammu Development Authority that owing to political pressures it is difficult to get the illegal occupation vacated. We have elaborated judicial system and when a dispute is referred to it, the law takes it own course. If the case is of intervention or interference by a political personality or agency, this should be brought to the notice of the court or enquiring agency. What stops the authorities from identifying the persons and agencies exerting pernicious impact on the case of land grabbing?
It is not only the 400 kanals of prime land in Gole Gujral that has fallen in the clutches of land grabbers. Land grabbing has become common ever since the State has shifted to democratic rule after 1947. Despite recurrent reports in the media that speak of instances of land grabbing, the authorities have not framed a long range policy that would curtail the ambitions of land grabbers and bring them to book. The time has come when the Government should lay down very stringent rules for illegal occupation of Government land anywhere in the State no matter to whichever department or Government agency the land belongs. Furthermore, revenue authorities have to be instructed to prepare an authenticated special record indicating the Government land, khasra number, size, location, exact ownership and other details and publicize it in local papers for the information of general public. It should also notify that any attempt of seizing any part of this land is an offence and cognizable under law. This should deter land grabbers from indiscriminate loot of Government property. In all probability this measure will reduce litigation over the land ownership also. Unless proven land grabbers are given exemplary punishment, we shall not get rid of land grabbing menace.
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