Mir Farhat
SRINAGAR, Aug 30: The State Government today gave a clean chit to leaders of opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), including Deputy Speaker Sartaj Madni, facing allegations of land grabbing in Anantnag district.
“The particular persons against whom allegations have been leveled have not encroached upon on any State land,” the report by the Revenue Department, submitted in the Legislative Council by Chief Secretary Iqbal Khandey said.
Khandey had been directed by the Chairman, Legislative Council, Amrit Malhotra, to ascertain the facts and submit a report after allegations of land grabbing against PDP leaders were leveled by ruling National Conference (NC) MLC Bashir Veeri.
Veeri alleged that a PDP leader had grabbed over 200 hectares of state land in Marhama area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
He also charged that names of Deputy Speaker Sartaj Madni and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had also figured in the case.
The report said the land in question measuring 89 kanals and 18 marlas was a proprietary land and had been transferred to some persons by the locals of Marhama in 2010.
No land by the persons, against whom allegations have been leveled, has been encroached as no such land is available within a radius of around 150 metres from immediate periphery of the said land, it said.
The report said the allegations of encroaching 4,000 kanals of land does not seem to be based on facts but rumors.
“The details provided by the field staff clearly reveal that more than 400 families of the said village and the adjoining village are in possession of the State land,” it said.
The report further said no permission for conversion of land from agricultural to non-agricultural activity has ever been granted by the Revenue Department.
“The communication which the member (Veeri) has referred to is in fact with regard to the upgradation of the soil for making it fit for agricultural activity only,” the report said.
It said the Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag has been directed to ensure that no violation takes place and ensure the land is exclusively used for agriculture purposes only.
Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Mubarak Gul has also directed the Crime Branch to investigate the allegations of land grabbing.
Meanwhile, Chairman Legislative Council, Amrit Malhotra, today said that if needed he would review his decision and constitute a House Committee in the Marhama wetland grab in which a People’s Democratic Party member has been accused by ruling National Conference (NC).
Malhotra said this amid the uproar in the House: “I will review my decision….If needed, a House Committee will be constituted to look into the issue,” Malhotra said.
As soon as the Upper House met today for Question Hour, ruling NC members, Bashir Ahmad Veeri and Abdul Majeed Bhat, stormed into the Well of the House urging the Chairman to constitute a House Committee into the alleged land grab by PDP’s candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections form Sonawari, Yasir Reshi.
Minister for Planning Ajay Sadhotra and leader of the Upper House told the Chairman to constitute a House Committee to unearth the truth and also “respect the sanctity” of the House.
However, the Chairman asked the members that a report has been already submitted by the Chief Secretary in the land-grab issue and also the case has gone to the Crime Branch, so there was no need for constituting the Committee. “The matter has already gone to the Crime Branch and my decision is that no House Committee is needed to be constituted into the case,” Malhotra said.
But NC members kept on shouting for forming a House Committee despite the report submitted by the Chief Secretary. “I don’t believe in the report which has been submitted by the Chief Secretary. The land which has been mentioned into the papers is just a tip of an ice-berg,” Veeri told Malhotra and pressed for the demand to constitute the committee.
“Land worth hundreds of crores of rupees has been grabbed and my appeal to you, sir, is that a House Committee should be constituted,” Veeri said.
Joining his members NC MLC Devender Singh Rana said: “What stops the House to constitute a committee to look into the matter. If everything is clean, what problem do they (PDP members) have in allowing a House Committee to be constituted?”
However, the members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) alleged the NC members were playing politics on the issue.
As the members of both the parties kept trading allegations, Malhotra adjourned the House for half-an-hour.
Soon after the proceedings of the House resumed, PDP member Naeem Akhter raised the issue of cricket scam and Haji Yusuf case and demanded that House Committees should be constituted in those cases as well.”
There are many other cases. Let there be a House Committee into the killing of Haji Yusuf and cricket scam in which NC patron, Farooq Abdullah is involved,” he said adding, “Why is police not presenting the investigation report of the cricket scam.”
Naeem said that NC chief Farooq Abdullah should have been in jail. This irked the NC members who shouted back at the PDP member, and the blame game continued till the intervention of the Chairman.
However, the chairman who at the first was adamant not to change his decision of not ordering a House Committee into the issue said that if needed a House Committee will be constituted.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Mubarak Gul, today said that he has received all the files in connection with the land grab in Anantnag district and informed the House that Deputy Speaker Sartaj Madni has signed the deal as a witness.
Gul said that Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir police has seized all the records, including patwari, girdawari, deal and other documents, about the alleged fraudulent land deal in Marhama in Anantnag district. He said that documents were handed over to him, however, they will be returned to CB for investigations.
Leader of the Opposition of People’s Democratic Party in the House Abdul Rehman Veeri announced that if Madni was found involved in any land grab deal, he will be expelled from party. “We won’t tolerate him in the party if he has grabbed a single marla of land. Let the CB complete inquiry “, Veeri said.
The issue was raised by ruling NC member Nasir Aslam Wani who wanted to know if the direction of the Speaker to CB were followed. Gul had directed the CB to seize all the records about the land deal and present them to him before the Question Hour.
The Speaker said he had directed the CB to submit the land record so that it is not tampered with. “I will again hand over the record to CB for further investigation who have to submit their report in 15 days”, he said. However, he said there is already House Committee on Wetland which has also been directed to investigate.
He said the Deputy Speaker has signed the documents as a witness. “There are three people who are beneficiaries, including Yasir Reshi and one Abdul Majid. On behalf of villagers one Abdul Gani Bhat has signed the documents”, Gul informed the House and said Madni is a witness.
Gul said as per the documents, which will be investigated, the authorities have allowed filling of the land for agriculture purpose. “A godown for Food Corporation of India (FCI) and other structures have been constructed”, he said, adding the case is already in the Additional District Court and Panchayat court in Anantnag.
Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone said Opposition PDP leaders are involved in the land grab. “They are collecting money for forthcoming elections”, he alleged.
“You are running the Government; you have everything, including investigation, at your disposal. Let you get it probed immediately so that those responsible for any illegal land deal are brought to justice.”
When the NC members started shouting, Veeri said: “NC is desperate because their days are numbered so you are trying to make an issue out of it.”
Veeri said that it is the Government that allowed change of land use. However, Minister Aijaz Khan said that there is no change of land use, only land has been improved for agriculture production as it was water logged.
Wani demanded Madni’s resignation. However, Madni said he was ready to face any action and leave politics if anybody will prove that he was benefitted from the land deal. He said he just signed the documents as a witness for the benefit of local villagers and has no other interest.
Madni raised the issue of 2010 Budgam land grab as revealed by then Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, and wanted that action be taken against those land grabbers.
Lone and Wani wanted to know why Madni signed the documents as a witness when the area did not belong to his constituency. “Why are you witness in the land deal, how, you know Abdul Gani who signed on behalf of villagers,” they asked.
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