Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 13: While lauding the intention behind the anti- encroachment drive launched by the Governor in the state, NPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh today said that the movement would be successful only if the big fish having usurped State and Forest lands worth crores are evicted by the administration and should be punished under law.
Addressing a press conference today, Singh said not only the encroachers of prime lands needed to be dispossessed and booked for grabbing Govt lands but action was also required to be initiated against those officers who facilitated such large scale encroachments in circumvention of laws by colluding with the encroachers. He said that 18 lakhs kanal of Govt land could not have been usurped by encroachers in the state without the backing and connivance of rulers with political and other influential persons holding prime lands without any lawful authority.
Pointing towards the Roshini Act enacted in 2005-2006 by the then political Govt for realization of targeted revenue of Rs 25,000 crore by regularization of such un-authorized holdings, Singh said that merely an amount of Rs 76 crore was realized with the illegal encroachments still continuing to remain in the possession of the all powerful land mafia. With several top politicians, Ex-Ministers, MLAs, MPs and several bureaucrats having encroached huge tracts of Govt lands as revealed in media and through RTI besides through AQs in Assembly, a beginning was required to be made by evicting these mighty and powerful people who had abused their position and authority in the past to loot the state and its resources.
Seeking early action and conclusion of eviction proceedings during the currency of Governor Rule itself, Singh said that a white paper should also be issued as to how and why the palatial mansions and commercial hubs constructed on State and Forest lands by politicians and top bureaucrats had been granted immunity from legal and departmental action.
Making a particular mention of some of the prime residential colonies and other concrete structures developed by the powerful politicians by encroachment of State lands and destruction of Forests, Singh appealed the Administration to retrieve the land from the Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs and other bureaucrats in areas like Bhatindi, Sunjwan, Chowadi, Nagrota, Bajalta, Roop Nagar, Bantalab etc.
Follow our WhatsApp channel