*All occupants fail to produce papers in support of claim
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 2: A Joint Committee constituted by Divisional Commissioner Jammu has detected massive encroachments on State land near River Tawi and found houses of former Minister, his family members and several influential persons in the list of 184 illegal structures having been illegally built on the State land and Gair Mumkin Tawi. The occupants/owners of all these structures have even failed to produce the documents in support of their claim over the land under their possession.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that keeping in view the instances of encroachment of State and Nazool land in and around Jammu city by the land mafia and other persons, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal vide order No.901/CC/Jammu/730-34 dated September 17, 2015 had constituted a Joint Committee headed by the then Regional Director, Survey and Land Records Jammu to identify all such encroachments particularly in and around Jammu city and Khasra Nos 301, 302 and 303 situated at Jammu Khas near village Nandini (near fourth Tawi bridge).
It was also mentioned in the order that Regional Director, Survey and Land Records had in September 2015 written to the Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control apprising him about the encroachments taking place in the land belonging to Flood Control Department (recorded as Gair Mumkin Tawi) in Khasra No.301, 302 and 303 of village Jammu Khas.
However, before the Joint Committee headed by Regional Director, Survey and Land Records could initiate the work, the Divisional Commissioner vide fresh order made Deputy Commissioner Jammu as head of the Joint Committee.
Acting on the task assigned by the Divisional Commissioner, the Joint Committee constituted three demarcation teams for the revenue villages of Rakh Raipur (Jammu South), Nandini (Jammu West) and Chak Lalu Shah (Mandal) in order to take holistic view of the issue as initially it came to the fore that because of certain confusions the encroachers were exploiting the situation, sources in the Divisional Commissioner’s office said, adding these teams conducted demarcation by relying on old as well as new Record of Rights to rule out any discrepancy.
After detailed exercise spread over several months, the team detected massive encroachments in Khasra No.302 and 303, which happen to be State land and recorded as Gair Mumkin Tawi under the possession of Flood Control Department, sources said while disclosing that about 27 illegal structures are existing in Khasra No.302 (State land) and 157 structures in Khasra No.303 (State land). Moreover, no one having possession over Khasra No.302 and 303 was able to produce any document in support of their claim over the land before the Joint Committee.
It also came to the fore that around 357 kanals and 06 marlas of land falling in Khasra No.32 of village Nandini of Tehsil Gole stands mutated in favour of family members of late Khuda Baksh which include Jameel Akhtar, Jahan Ara (daughters), Allaha Baksh and Taj Mohi-ud-Din-former Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control (sons) and Mehjabeen, wife of Allaha Baksh. However, they are not having possession over this land and instead they are sitting over Khasra No.302 and 303 of village Jammu Khas, which is a State land, sources informed.
“In fact, the family of late Khuda Baksh is illegally occupying land in excess of 350 kanals in Khasra No. 302 and it includes few houses, which as per the statements of people, also belong to the relatives of the extended family of Khuda Baksh”, sources said, adding “notwithstanding the stand taken by them before the Joint Committee, the family members of Khuda Baksh are clearly sitting over Khasra No. 302 and 303, which is State land”.
Stating that around 157 structures have come up illegally in Khasra No.303, sources said, “the occupants do not have any valid documents in their support”. They disclosed that the Joint Committee has mentioned that all these structures are having threat of floods in river Tawi and they need to be cleared from the spot”.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Joint Committee was comprised of Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Simrandeep Singh, Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) Jammu, Sachin Dev Singh, Assistant Commissioner (Nazool), Deepraj and Director Land Management Jammu Development Authority, Rishpal.
Now, in view of the explicit findings of the Joint Committee, the ball has come in the court of PDP-BJP Coalition Government and it is to be seen whether the present dispensation will initiate action against the encroachers under law or remain mute spectator like the previous dispensations in the State.
“The action becomes imperative as in the order whereby the Joint Committee was constituted it was explicitly mentioned by the Divisional Commissioner that illegal acts of land mafia and other persons in encroaching sizable parts of State and Nazool land are causing serious loss to the interests of the State and all such illegal activities are required to be curbed under due process of law promptly”, sources said.
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