*Demarcation report establishes illegal possession
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 15: Continuing to tighten noose around those public functionaries who have abused or misused position to obtain undue gains, the Jammu and Kashmir State Accountability Commission (SAC) has sought the record of Khasra Number 249 of village Sunjwan in Jammu district where a former Minister and sitting Member of Legislative Council (MLC) of National Conference and his relatives have encroached huge chunk of land belonging to the Forest Department. Moreover, the Commission has asked the Revenue Department to verify the demarcation report prepared some years back whereby illegal possession was established.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that in the recent past the State Accountability Commission’s Jammu Wing received a complaint mentioning that a former Minister and sitting MLC of National Conference and his relatives have encroached upon huge chunk of forest land at village Sunjwan in the outskirts of Jammu city.
Though the complainant kept his identity secret yet he annexed with the complaint a copy of the demarcation report dated January 23, 2008 duly prepared and countersigned by the then Naib Tehsildar Bahu and Khasra Girdawari for the year 2007 whereby illegal possession of these influential encroachers has already been established, sources said.
It was alleged in the complaint that the encroachers have raised palatial houses on the encroached forest land mainly because of the non-serious approach of the Forest Department which allegedly became party to the encroachment by not initiating any effective step to remove the same.
The complainant further alleged that the officers and officials of the Forest Department posted from time to time in village Sunjwan facilitated the encroachment instead of tightening noose around the encroachers as a result of which forest land has virtually been converted into concrete jungle.
As material annexed with the complaint was sufficient to prove the allegations, the Accountability Commission prepared a suo moto case and accordingly the same was discussed in the Full Commission comprising Justice B A Khan (Chairperson) and Justice J P Singh and Justice B A Kirmani (Members).
After going through the case in detail, the Full Commission found it appropriate to seek entire relevant record for analysis before going ahead with further exercise as stipulated in the Jammu and Kashmir State Accountability Commission Act.
The Commission has directed the district administration and the Tehsildar Bahu to verify the reports whereby illegal possession has already been established, sources informed. “Besides filing the verification report, the extracts of Jamabandi/Girdawari shall also be filed by or before December 28”, sources said quoting the communication of Accountability Commission.
“The administration has also been asked to apprise the Commission as to whether the public functionary and his relatives have encroached upon forest land at village Sunjwan and also two houses have been constructed on the said land”, sources said while disclosing that Commission will examine the record and verification report on next date of hearing-December 28, 2016.
According to the sources, failure to act in accordance with the norms of integrity and conduct which ought to be followed by the public functionaries has also been made ground for initiation of suo moto proceedings against the former Minister and sitting MLC of National Conference.
It is pertinent to mention here that Accountability Commission has all the powers to take cognizance of the allegations/reports which establish that a public functionary is guilty of corruption, favoritism, nepotism or lack of integrity; was actuated in the discharge of his functions by personal interest or improper or corrupt motive; has abused or misused his position to obtain any gain or favour to himself or any other person; has failed to act in accordance with the norms of integrity and conduct which ought to be followed by the public functionaries and any person on his behalf is in possession or has at any time during the period of his office been in possession, for which the public functionary cannot satisfactorily account, of pecuniary resources or property disproportionate to his known sources of income.
“It is a matter of serious concern that the public functionary who was supposed to ensure rule of law to prevail himself indulged in violation of law to obtain undue benefit”, sources said.
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