Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 11: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed the Deputy Commissioners (Collectors) of the all districts of the State to ask the revenue officials to ensure stern action against violators of land use and file Action Taken Report with the court.
The Division Bench of the High Court comprising of Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Justice Hasnain Masoodi pulled up the revenue authorities for not taking action against the violators of the land use across the State.
The court directed the DC’s to impress upon the revenue authorities to ensure stern action against the violators so as to stop the change of land use and any violation noticed anywhere shall be stopped and action taken report shall be submitted.
The Bench directed that in case no action is noticed to have been taken against violators, the revenue officers shall be personally responsible and answerable.
The court said: “It is a matter of concern that the revenue authorities having powers under various enactments to stop violation of conversion of the land are not timely taking action as a result thereof the violators with impunity have been changing the kind of land.”
Expressing dissatisfaction over the status reports filed by various Deputy Commissioners court said: “Some of the Deputy Commissioners have filed their responses but those are not satisfactory, and the status reports filed too are unsatisfactory.”
The court had directed the Deputy Commissioners across the State to file their responses about the conversion of agriculture land for other purposes and in case compliance is delayed their personal appearance shall be indispensable.
“We have seen certain reports, wherein it is mentioned that there are number of violators, notices have been issued against some, what happened thereafter, is not reported,” the Bench said.
The Bench directed all the DCs of the State to file fresh reports, wherein it shall be clearly indicated in a tabulated form as to how many violations have been noticed and what action has been taken.
Regarding the cases where notices have been issued to violators, the HC said: “If notices have been issued, whether any final decision has been taken.”
The amicus curie, Advocate Jehangir Iqbal, took the attention of the court to the various violations in Tangmarg despite various court directions passed from time to time and demonstrated various photographs which depict recent construction in the area.
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