That various ills plaguing the administrative mechanism in Jammu and Kashmir could have been increasingly averted on consistent basis had there been a culture of inter-departmental understanding and cooperation cultivated, strengthened and hence remaining ever existing. In other words, that denotes better understanding of all vital and developmental projects underway or likely to be undertaken by a particular department which in fact without the ”help ” and close co-operation of the other, could not be easily accomplished. The glaring example of such a scenario existing between the UT Revenue and Tourism Departments can be seen in a case where a cabinet decision taken way back in the year 2005 remains to be implemented and hence fate thereof continuing to be hanging in balance. This type of scenario can, perhaps, be witnessed only in Jammu and Kashmir. It may be appreciated that decisions taken by a Government in power, unless there being sufficient reasons and circumstances on the contrary, have got to be honoured and implemented by the next or any subsequent Government in power. Logic and prudence say that the sole responsibility and authority of a Government is to make binding decisions in a given system and have them implemented. Therefore, a due sanction having been accorded by the (then) State cabinet in 2005 for transfer of 7000 kanals of state land in favour of Patnitop Development Authority, as the same was found sufficiently required by the said Authority to develop the famous tourist spot of Patnitop, has not been transferred so far. This is just an instance from out of innumerable ones of total indifference towards developing tourism in Jammu division. A period of 16 years is no insignificant period for the red tapped system having made deep inroads in the system especially vis-a-vis the officers concerned in Revenue Department, to be unable to honour the cabinet decision especially when it was all concerned about developing one of the most enchanting tourist spots in Jammu region which otherwise also due to a heavy footfall of tourists, is in dire need of development in a comprehensive way. In the absence of the availability of the land, lot many proposed projects which would have bestowed added charm and ecofriendly massive development on the entire area and resulted in added economic and commercial activities, have been badly affected and perhaps indefinitely prolonged and postponed. Development denied means progress denied for which reasons ought to be found out and accountability duly fixed. Not only have any type of denial of due revenue or earnings for whatever reason to be viewed seriously but the accruable ones too on account of likely not commissioning of a new project or venture due to the reasons as under reference, to be reckoned and equally accounted for. Unless there are necessary formalities completed in respect of transferring the title of the land by proper mutation in revenue records, no land can be claimed to be legally owned by anyone even if consideration clauses may have been duly fulfilled. The land measuring 7000 kanals falls in areas like Sudmahadev, Kariah, Kud, Pichote, Katwalt etc and it is amazing that while obtaining revenue extracts from village Kud from revenue officials of the land purported to have been transferred to Patnitop Development Authority (PDA), it transpired that the title of the land had not been transferred in its name after so many years. The other part of the story is that just by coincidence, the PDA came to know about it and why all these years, the matter was not followed by the former CEOs, at least ascertained, whether the title had been duly passed on to the PDA or not. In other words, in a matter of so much of importance, the PDA should have, as can normally be expected, followed up the matter right from the year 2005 and no doubt, things would have been quite different than they appear to be as on date. Kettle, therefore,
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