Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 21: The State High Court expressed anguish over the functioning of the authorities and warned them stern action including removal from sensitive posting if they fail to implement the provision of land laws in saving the agriculture land.
The division bench of Justice MH Attar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey while hearing a petition over the issue of agriculture land said the issues which was supposed to be resolved by the authorities, are being sought by the court.
“We note our concern about the manner, the issues which are required to be dealt with at the level of Divisional Commissioner/Deputy Commissioners/Tehsildars, are being brought before this court”, reads the order of DB.
Court observed that this suggests the state of affairs would demonstrate that the statutory and administrative authorities are not performing their duties properly.
Whether the authorities would perform their duties in accordance with law, court said the instant case is made as a ‘test case’ to see that all the concerned authorities perform their statutory and administrative duties in tune with law.
“…And in case of failure on part of the concerned authorities to act in accordance with law, besides initiating action against the erring officers for not performing their duties, their removal from sensitive postings will be recommended”, DB warned.
Court further directed Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir to take immediate steps in accordance with law for enforcement of provisions of laws and directions passed from time to time in PIL seeking protection and preservation of agriculture and state lands.
Court in this connection directed him to file compliance report before the Registrar Judicial within one week. “Registry has to inform the court about the filing of compliance report as well as non-filing of compliance report”, court said and asked the registry to serve the order to Divisional Commissioner Kashmir.
It is worthwhile to mention here that the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has recently directed the Government to appoint Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir as well as Jammu division for implementing the provision of land laws including Supreme Court directions as also the directions passed from High Court in order to save the agriculture and State land in the State as the conversion of agriculture land into commercial is unabated in the entire State which has caused ecological imbalance to the whole environment.
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