Another land scam

It is shocking to know that the police officers and other functionaries of police department, who are supposed to be the guardians of the rule of law in the State, have been found involved in brazen acts of criminality like hoodwinking the law and misusing their official position as responsible police officer(s) of senior rank. A bizarre case of illegal seizure of state land by some of the police officers, retired or in service,  managed through the connivance of revenue officers and many others in the administration, has come to notice just by a freak of chance. A dispute between two claimants of a particular khasra of land in Sunjwan locality of Jammu district, led some of the residents of Gujjar Colony, Sunjwan to lodge a complaint with the Regional Director, Surveys and Land Records, who in turn, forwarded it to the Deputy Commissioner Jammu for orders of demarcation of several khasras of land under consideration. In his preliminary report to the Deputy Commissioner on Khasra No.372, the Regional Director, Land Records and Surveys, R K Shavan said that Khasra No.372 of Sunjwan over which the occupants have papers did not match with the ground position. He reported that the occupants had in fact occupied Khasra No.556 of village Channi Himmat under the garb of Government Order No.332-UD of 1978 dated June 29, 1978 whereby plots were sanctioned in favour of 81 families in Khasra No.372 of village Sunjwan.
This was how lid was taken off a big land grabbing scam that remained unnoticed since 1978. The report of the Regional Director Land Records and Survey shows that thorough investigation of this case of land-grabbing has been conducted, and details submitted to the higher authorities in the government. Several persons including police officials are illegally in possession of State land in village Channi Himmat in the garb of regularization order issued by Government in Khasra No.372 of village Sunjwan. This seems to be a major scandal in which many state functionaries are involved. As such, it merits thorough investigation by the State Vigilance Organization with officers of highest integrity. It has to be noted that the land grabbers are so aggressive and intimidating as to misuse their official position, they have filed an FIR against the Regional Director, Surveys and Land Records, who is also Ex-Officio Settlement Officer, Jammu. It shows the audacity of the land grabbers of not only grabbing state land illegally but also covertly threatening the officers who are duty bound to make investigation and report to the higher authorities. This is a brazen case of land grabbing and we strongly recommend that the government institute a special inquiry in the entire episode beginning from 1978 when plots were allotted to 81 families. The inquiry should start with that allotment and track the trail down to present day. It is also reported that the entries in the revenue records have been tampered with and wrongful mutations have been made.  JDA authorities should be directed to find out the total land brought under unauthorized occupation by the persons in this Khasra number without allotment. It is also important to find out why this irregularity was not brought to the notice of the higher authorities and those who were responsible to do so should be charged with dereliction of duty. The case merits constitution of Special Investigation Team (SIT).

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