The saying, “But those set to guard the treasure, are too often those who loot it”, fits exactly in the instant case, that of how several ex-Ministers, bureaucrats, police officers and other Government officers have encroached upon huge chunk of “Kah-charai” and “Sarkari” land in Budgam district’s Humhuma area near airport which is prime location with highest market value. These all are otherwise from such professions and from close public life that they are supposed to serve the people and establish benchmarks of probity and impeccable integrity. On the contrary, they have thrown to winds all norms and that too in connivance with the Revenue Department. Revenue Department is the watchdog of proper land records and protecting such records scrupulously from any type of tampering with or dealing in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the owner.
It is surprising that Government employees drawingsalaries and other facilities from the public treasury should indulge in iniquitous and disreputable acts like the ones under reference, unbecoming of them and being totally repugnant to service conduct rules. All this has been revealed by a Committee of Officers with numerous recommendations to the Revenue Department not only to formally get it known but initiate stringent action against the encroachers otherwise considered very responsible and with requisite accountability towards the public for their acts.
The question as to why some bureaucrats and police officers, obviously wielding official influence and misusing the same for personal gains by resorting to corrupt and illegal means, think it as their right and also feel assured that no action worth the name was going to be taken against them or in case one was initiated too, how to obfuscate it and get it delayed and ultimately made the “dust” settled over it to rest . If it is not so, then could it be explained that despite formulation of the said committee and having been given specific and pointed terms of reference and the committee having acted upon by submitting its report to the Revenue Department , no action has been taken so far ?
‘Excelsior’ has managed to get the details of the report along with individual names of the ” Sarkari land thieves” and would continue to actively monitor the developments in the matter till the culprits were not only made to part with the usurped land valuing lakhs of Rupees but departmental action too taken against them. Ex- Ministers and legislators must be brought to justice for their such acts.
The terms of the reference of the Committee were to enquire into the entire gamut of ‘soft appearing loot’ including demarcation of State and Kah-charai land, identification of encroachers along with the details of the land encroached upon, position of recordsand entries made therein. In addition to it, the Committee was to pinpoint the officers and the officials of the Revenue Department responsible for facilitating the encroachments and identification of the culprit beneficiariesetc.
To circumvent any direct action against these Sarkari officers (encroachers), majority of them using influence and patronage, have managed to keep such encroached property in the name of their spouses and relatives so that their “fair” names might not be linked with the said scam of encroaching. Will the Government take a very serious note of the matter so that filing of PILs in the courts in respect of the loot could be averted as the public with watchful eyes are observing the goings on in and via the Revenue Department very keenly?
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