ACB directed to proceed in complaints immediately
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 11: Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu Y P Bourney has passed strictures against the Revenue Department for clandestinely issuing extracts of revenue records and directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to proceed in the complaints in accordance with the law without further loss of time.
The court was dealing with two applications titled Attar Singh Versus Vijay Gupta and Others and Anoop Aggarwal Versus Deputy Commissioner Jammu and Others which pertain to recording of entries of exclusion without any reference to any order authorising such a course of action when as a matter of routine the records of rights are maintained in positive form detailing the owners/shareholders and not in negative form detailing of the persons excluded from the share.
After hearing Advocate D K Khajuria for applicant Attar Singh and Advocate M A Bhat for applicant Anoop Agarwal in length, the court observed, “it appears that focus of Revenue officers was more on dislodging the complaint of applicants rather than reporting the factual position in fair, objective and impartial manner”, adding “it is for the investigating agency to conduct suitable enquiry into the matter and verify entries in the original record of rights”.
“It is disgusting to note that extracts of revenue records-Fard Intekhab Jamabandi, Aks Tatimas/handmade maps are being issued clandestinely depicting only the particular position under transfer by any mode without any reference to the total area of the survey number and the land already sold there-from by simply marking it again and again no matter how much and how many times the land is sold under that particular survey number resulting into quantum of avoidable disputes, which are not only plaguing the law enforcing system but also at times are difficult to resolve in absence of clear identification with reference to the revenue records”, the court further observed.
The Special Judge Anti-Corruption further said, “the Aks-Latha/Masavi are allowed to be destroyed systematically and neither any action is taken against the officials responsible for their acts overtly and covertly nor any steps are taken to get these records reconstructed afterwards leaving it open to the unscrupulous elements within and outside the system particularly land mafia to manipulate the things as per their convenience and then get away with it”.
“It is all the more disturbing that no effective steps are being taken to contain such elements by the controlling and supervisory officers in the hierarchy as are expected from them under the provisions of Land Revenue Act”, the court said, adding “the time has come for these officers to act by exhibiting some grit and sense of responsibility by taking necessary corrective steps to check these glaring irregularities before it is too late”.
With these strictures and observations, the court directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau to proceed in the complaints in accordance with law without further loss of time. “A copy of this order be forwarded to SSP Anti-Corruption Bureau for strict compliance and also to Financial Commissioner Revenue and Divisional Commissioner Jammu for their information and action as they deem proper”, the court further directed.
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