Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 3: The High Court directed immediate action by the Government against those holding the land in Pahalgam without lease.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Puneet Gupta termed as “serious issue” the inaction against those occupying the precious land without “paying a single penny despite using the property for commercial purposes.”
As the hearing of the PIL started, the court was informed that a compliance report has been filed by the Chief Executive Officer, Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) Mushtaq Ahmad Simnani.
“The list of persons/ lessees is enclosed. It discloses a terrible state of affairs,” the court said.
As per the report, 75 parties are in occupation of 75 plots comprising 79 kanals 8 marlas 7 Sirsai and 4 sft out of which 63 kanals 18 marlas 1 Sirsai and 5 sft has been leased out by the Government. 15 kanals and 10 marlas and 6 Sirsai are encroached upon by different persons”, it said.
The PDA said that it has no record of any grant of any lease. The CEO also stated that a series of public notices through the print media were issued for the production of lease documents by the lessees but “it appears that none of these persons have come forward”.
“These persons are occupying the public property without any legal right to continue and none of these persons are paying a single penny to the Government even though the property is being used for commercial purposes,” the court said.
No action seems to have been taken by the Government, the court observed, and termed it as “serious issue which needs immediate attention of the authorities”.
“The digitized record is in a very bad condition. This matter is adjourned,” the court said and directed Secretary to Government, Revenue Department to ensure that the proper assistance is rendered to PDA after latter submitted that Revenue Authorities are not cooperating in the matter.
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