Missing of original record from Allotment Section of JDA
Public suffering, compliances in legal proceedings hampering
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 19: Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police has started in-depth investigation into the misplacement of large number of files pertaining to various colonies and commercial complexes of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and sought details in this regard from the concerned officers. Moreover, the investigating agency has sought assistance of the allottees of the residential plots and commercial property in order to unravel the entire mystery and fix the responsibility.
The Housing and Urban Development Department Vide Letter No. HUD-JDA/43/2023 dated August 31, 2023 had requested Special DGP Crime Branch J&K for a detailed investigation into the misplacement of large number of original record/files from the Allotment Section of Jammu Development Authority.
Accordingly, directions were issued to the Crime Branch Jammu, which has started in-depth probe into the matter and has even sought details from the officers of the Jammu Development Authority, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“Any allottee of the residential and commercial property of JDA who is having specific information about the matter can approach the Crime Branch Jammu for assistance in the ongoing investigation”, sources said, adding “Allotment Section of Jammu Development Authority primarily deals with the allotment cases of residential plots, commercial properties, allotment of land parcels etc as per the prescribed procedure and missing of large number of original files from the repository is a matter of grave concern”.
They disclosed that large number of applicants/general public are visiting JDA office time and again particularly for transfer of lease hold rights of their plots/ property but are put to inconvenience and hardships for the reason that Dealing Assistants express their inability to locate the original allotment files.
“Further, due to the non-availability of the original allotment record/files, the compliances in various legal proceedings in court cases, investigations, etc. are also getting hampered”, sources said, adding “the matter has been referred to Crime Branch as a committee constituted by JDA to fix the responsibility of the missing records has failed to submit any concrete report”.
The committee in its report has mentioned, “since the time period of missing of the allotment related files could not be established, we are unable to fix the responsibility of the delinquents official/Dealing Assistants as many employees of the JDA have worked as Dealing Assistants in Allotment Section from time to time and some of them have even retired from service”.
However, the committee recommended for reconstruction of alternate files in such cases of missing/untraceable files where the applicants are approaching office by taking all legal safeguards and requisite original documents as this was done earlier also. “In order to mitigate the inconvenience and hardship that is faced by the bonafide lessees of JDA, a way forward for reconstruction of the file seems desirable”, read the report of the committee.
Meanwhile, a committee of officers constituted for the reconstruction of missing records/files of the Allotment Section of JDA vide Govt. Order No.144-JK(HUD) of 2023 dated 31.08.2023 has been directed to ensure transparency and checks and balances in the exercise of reconstruction of record by taking the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on board with regard to the feasibility and legal validity of the records/files, if reconstructed, and the safeguards that may be incorporated in the procedure to be adopted for carrying out such exercise.
“The committee should ensure that the allotment is genuine, neither cancelled nor irregular or pending investigation before Anti-Corruption Bureau and Crime Branch etc”, the Housing and Urban Development Department has mentioned in the order, adding “the committee should place in the public domain on a periodic basis, the details of the records/files reconstructed for inviting objections and after considering the objections, if any, should recommend further processing of such cases”.
The committee is under direction to hold its sitting at least once a month to monitor the progress of reconstruction and to decide such cases. Moreover, monthly progress report will have to be submitted to the Administrative Department.
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