*Non-cooperation of Revenue, Health Deptts pointed out
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: In a major embarrassment for the State Government particularly at a time when tall claims are being made about eviction of forest land from the encroachers, State Vigilance Organization (SVO) has established that Minister for Transport, Abdul Gani Kohli has constructed huge educational complex on the forest land in Nowabad area of Sunjwan in the outskirts of Jammu city. The premier investigating agency of the State has also pointed out non-cooperation from the authorities of Revenue and Health and Medical Education Departments on certain aspects relating to the huge complex.
These startling revelations have been made in the status report filed by the State Vigilance Organization through Senior Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Organization Jammu in compliance to the directions passed by the High Court in petition titled Ankur Sharma Versus State of J&K dated September 7, 2015, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
“The complaint of the petitioner mentioning that A G Kohli, Minister for Transport and MLA Kalakote has grabbed more than 10 kanals of forest land in Khasra No.356/min at Nowabad, Sunjwan and constructed a multi storey building complex where from he is running BEd/ETT College, Para-Medical Institute, B N School and ATM of J&K Bank, was forwarded to ADGP/Director of Vigilance vide communication No.SSP/Clt/2015/180/VOJ dated June 19, 2015 and approval for conducting preliminary enquiry was conveyed vide communiqué No.VO-PE-JMU-04/2015-16358 dated July 10, 2015 and the same was registered on July 14, 2015”, the status report said.
During the course of enquiry, the records—photocopies of building plan, sale deed of land measuring 8 kanals and 9 marlas, deed of B N Educational Trust and some other records pertaining to inspection report conducted by the Education Department for NOCs have been collected and scrutinized, the report said, adding “it has been found that some original records pertaining to the B N Educational Trust have been seized by the Crime Branch in the FIR registered against management of ETT Colleges and officers and officials of State Board of School Education”.
“The matter for demarcation of land and other relevant records was taken up with Chief Conservator of Forest, Demarcation and Settlement, Revenue authorities, Secretary Board of School Education and Block Development Officer, Purmandal Block”, the report said, adding “vide letter No.238-DMR dated August 7, 2015, the Divisional Forest Officer, Demarcation Division No.1 Jammu has submitted that Khasra No.356 comprising of CO Nos. 1, 3, 5 of Bahu Range as per the available record is forest land. In support of his report, he has submitted the available land records being maintained by the revenue wing of the Forest Department”.
Pointing out non-cooperation of the revenue authorities, the report said, “the matter regarding demarcation and report of land in question was also taken up with the functionaries of the Revenue Department but the information is still awaited”, adding “regarding the permissions/NOCs issued for establishing/running of ETT College, B N School and Para-Medical Training Institution, Chairman of the Board of School Education, Director Health Services and Commissioner/ Secretary Health and Medical Education Department were approached”.
However, the Secretary BOSE conveyed that affiliation files of all the ETT Institutes of Jammu Division have already been seized by the Crime Branch Jammu. On scrutiny of the files obtained from the Crime Branch, it came to the fore that B N Public School and BEd/ETT College are situated in Khasra No.356 as per the documents submitted by the management of the College for seeking various permissions/NOCs. Moreover, as per the report of DFO Jammu Khasra No.356 of village Nowabad, Sunjwan is forest land thereby substantiating the basic allegation of the complainant”.
About the B N Paramedical School, the status report said, “the record vis-à-vis permission/NOCs was requisitioned from the Director Health Services and Commissioner/ Secretary Health and Medical Education Department but the same is awaited despite repeated requests”.
“During visual inspection of the building complex/institution, it was found that a number of educational institutions are being run in the building complex under probe”, the report said, adding “in addition to these institutions, it was found that a full-fledged branch of J&K Bank along with ATM is also located in the complex”.
“The enquiries conducted so far have established that the institutions are being owned and managed by the family members of Abdul Gani Kohli and the building complex has been raised on Khasra No.356 of village Nowabad, which according to the report of the Forest Department is forest land thereby substantiating the basic allegation”, the report said, adding “further enquiry would be conducted to work out the violations being done by the owners, managements and officers and officials of the concerned departments, who have been involved in facilitating the establishment of such institutions on forest land in violation of the law”.
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