Taking back entire encroached land will take decades
Merely 4501 kanals retrieved in last 5 years
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 25: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that while over 1.66 lakh kanals of Custodian land is under illegal occupation across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the department has retrieved only 4501 kanals in last five years. This clearly indicates that taking back entire encroached land will take decades to the department.
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The information about status of Custodian land was given by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also Minister Incharge Revenue, in response to the question of National Conference MLA Farooq Ahmad Shah in the Legislative Assembly today.
“As per the report received from the office of the Custodian General J&K dated February 27, 2025, total area of Custodian land in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is 14,49,406 kanals—-13,93,446 kanals in Jammu division and 55,960 kanals in Kashmir division”, the Chief Minister said in a written reply.
In response to a question about the quantum of Custodian land under illegal occupation across the Union Territory, the Minister Incharge Revenue said that in Jammu division 1,62,340 kanals of Custodian land is under encroachment while as in Kashmir division 3983 kanals of land is under illegal occupation.
About the steps taken for eviction of illegal occupants from the Custodian land, the Minister said that removal of encroachment and retrieval of land from illegal occupants is a continuous process undertaken by the department. “In this process, a total of 4501 kanals of evacuee land has been retrieved in the last five years. Of this, 2060 kanals in Jammu division and 2441 kanals in Kashmir division”, he added.
“However, a big chunk of illegal occupation of evacuee land is locked in litigation and both the Custodians are vigorously contesting those cases before various forums for early disposal and subsequent retrieval”, the Chief Minister said. The Assembly was informed that the department has already initiated action/proceedings under the relevant provisions of J&K Evacuees (Administration of Property) Act and Rules framed there under for removal of encroachment/illegal occupation from the evacuee land.
The figures provided by the Government reveals very slow pace of retrieval of encroached Custodian land. The land retrieval pace in Jammu division is more depressing as compared to Kashmir division. As only 2060 kanals of land has been retrieved in Jammu division in last five years when the entire encroached land-1,62,340 kanals will be taken back from the illegal occupation remains a million dollar question.
The retrieval of only 4501 kanals against total encroached land of 1,66,323 kanals in a span of five years clearly indicates that department will take decades to take back entire land from the illegal occupants.
As already reported by EXCELSIOR, the hundreds of kanals of Custodian land has been fraudulently grabbed by the land grabbers/gangsters in connivance with the Revenue and Police officials. The Anti-Corruption Bureau, which has registered numerous FIRs in this regard especially with respect to Custodian land in Jammu district, has noticed that revenue records were tampered and land was sold to various persons illegally.
As per the verification conducted by Anti-Corruption Bureau, Form 3-A along with power of attorneys were obtained from various PoK refugees alluring them of additional lands and providing them instant money ranging from Rs 5000 to Rs 50,000 by the conduits of land grabbers and thereafter insertions/additions regarding additional chunks of Custodian land were made in the revenue records by sheer abuse of official positions.
Thereafter, these lands were sold by the conduits and attorney holders to various persons including their own gang leaders and members by resorting to fraudulent means thereby causing huge loss to the Government exchequer.
Keeping in view all this, the Custodian Department should gear up exercise to retrieved land from the illegal occupants so that the same could be utilized for constructive purposes.
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