Govt criticised for not taking action against land mafia

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 26: Anti Encroachment Front (AEF) and Mohallah Welfare Committee (MWC), Munshi Chak, Gole Gujral criticized the Government for adopting dilly dallying approach and giving ample time to the land mafia and criminals, who have encroached thousands of kanals of Government land despite Court orders.
Addressing a joint press conference, Balvinder Singh, Convener, Anti Encroachment Front said that refusal of SSP to provide adequate security to JDA officials (on the pretext of elections in the State) for retrieving the JDA land from encroachers is highly objectionable.
Singh said this clearly shows that the people at the helm of affairs are only patronizing the land encroachers and criminals but they are also involved in this encroachment, this is why they are shying away to get the State land vacated from the mafia.
Deepak Sharma, social activist condemned the slackness shown by the revenue authorities for their failure for proper demarcation of the Government land which ultimately encouraged the criminals to encroach the State land. He demanded a high level probe to fix the responsibility of the officers of the Revenue Department including DCs, ACRs, Tehsildars and Khilafwarzi staff of JDA.
“Whenever any officer of the JDA tried to retrieve the land from encroachers either the officer has been shown the exit door or not given proper support for the eviction drive”, members of AEF and Mohallah Welfare Committee (MWC), Munshi Chak, Gole Gujral alleged.
They said every attempt is made by the politicians, Ministers, bureaucrats, police officers and anti social elements to hush up the matter either by delaying the action against the land encroachers of by giving political patronage to them.
They further expressed concern over the free hand given by the present Government to the land encroachers which is evident from the fact that none of the Deputy Commissioners of the 6 districts has submitted the record pertaining to the Roshni Land scam unearthed by none other than CAG, which is a constitutional body.
The speakers demanded white paper from the Government and to come clear on the issues of encroachment of forest land, JDA land, nazool land, State land and irrigation land.
Chaman Lal, Ex-Corporator of the locality demanded strict action against the encroachers.
Among others present were Surinder Singh, Chairman, Mohallah Welfare Committee (MWC), Munshi Chak, Gole Gujral, Santokh Singh, Sushil Kumar, Avtar Singh and Jaswinder Singh.

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