Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 16: In a PIL highlighting encroachment of 20 lakh kanals of State land, Division Bench of the State High Court comprising First Puisne Judge Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Justice B S Walia today granted six weeks time for filing compliance report as per the orders issued on May 6 and October 26, 2015.
The DB, in the open court, made it clear that in case of default serious view will be taken against the authorities and personal appearance of the officers will be indispensable.
When the PIL came up for hearing, Advocate Ahmed drew the attention of the court towards the orders passed on May 6, 2015 and October 26, 2015 when the Division Bench had noted with concern the massive encroachment of State land measuring 20 lakh kanal throughout the State.
He submitted that more than 13 volumes have already been filed by the Divisional Commissioners of Jammu/Kashmir indicating the identity of the encroachers district wise. He further submitted that the Division Bench had directed the Revenue Department to come up with a report regarding mechanism proposed to be evolved to remove encroachments so that the State land is restored to its original status.
“The state functionaries are reluctant to proceed against the land mafia as many big wigs have encroached major chunks of State land in connivance with the land mafia having political patronage”, he said, adding “State Government is non-serious/casual in its approach towards the removal of the encroachments and a time bound direction is required to be issued in the matter so that State functionaries are compelled to take effective steps for retrieving the land”.
Government Advocate Ahtsham Bhat appearing vice AAG Ehsan Mirza sought some more time to file the compliance report in the matter.
Advocate Ahmed further drew the attention of the Division Bench towards the status report filed by the State Vigilance Organization in the multi-crore Roshni land scam. He, while attacking the status report, submitted that the status report is nothing except the repetition of the previous status reports.
“The SVO is also taking orders of the court casually as despite the express directions of the Division Bench the status report is completely silent with regard to the date on which the investigation was finalized and on which date the matter was referred to the sanctioning authority for accord of sanction in those cases where matters are awaiting sanction”, he added.
On this DB observed, “the status report filed by SVO is not in conformity with the mandate of the court order dated May 6, 2015”. Accordingly, the DB directed SVO to file a fresh status report in the matter strictly as per the previous orders of the court within six weeks from today.
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