Jammu Development Authority has invited the wrath of the High Court Bench which was hearing a PIL filed against JDA not getting illegal encroachments of its land vacated. The judgement passed by the Divisional Bench reflects deep disgust of the Bench for dereliction of duty by the JDA officials. Actually DB was offended with the status report of JDA on which many observations have been made. The status report admits that JDA authorities/officers had failed to get land of 169 kanals and 7 marlas of its land in Gole vacated by the Gujjars who had illegally grabbed it. Though not specifically mentioned, the Divisional Bench has expressed its lurking doubt that there exists an understanding of sorts between the JDA officials, Government circles and the land grabbers for which reason the JDA has not so far done anything to throw out illegal occupants. There can be no other reasons than that. The suspicion of the DB is further reinforced by the fact that in the columns of this paper the issue of land grabbing by the land mafia and illegal occupation of State land was taken up forcefully some time back. It is crystal clear that there is involvement of political bigwigs who have vested interests and would not want the JDA to terminate illegal occupation or encroachment of Government land.
After the perusal of the status report filed by JDA, the DB has found that no fewer than ten khilafwarzi officials remain posted in the JDA for more than ten years in the past. And very rightly the court has suspected underhand deals for retaining these khilafwarzi officers at their present posts for such a long time. What are the vested interests that favoured these khilafwarzi officers? Was it to help them grease their palms and bask in the sunshine of patronage of higher authorities or political personalities? Commenting on JDA for not acting to get the illegal occupation vacated, the Divisional Bench rightly observed that it doesn’t make functioning of the authorities of the JDA only doubtful but strong eye-brows of suspicions are also raised about the integrity of the authorities/officers, who have manned the important positions/posts in the JDA from time to time. In other words, the observation also brings other officers into the net of suspicion that might have been at the helm of affairs previously but are not with JDA now. In yet another case, prime land of JDA around Jammu Railway Station had been handed over to illegal occupants in connivance with JDA officials.
The sharp language used by the Divisional Board also reflects the anger with JDA authorities/officers who have deliberately not performed their duty but have stuck to JDA Jammu for a long period of time. The court has ordered that all officers of JDA including the khilafwarzi officers who have been at their present post in JDA for last ten years should submit within one week their property statement to the court. The court requires them to submit affidavits on moveable and immoveable property which are held by them in their individual names, in the names of their spouses and in the names of their children. They have also been restrained from creating any third party interest in their properties. They have also to give full information of their balances, shares, debentures and in the affidavit they shall also indicate that till further orders from the court, they will not create any third party interest in their immovable and movable properties. This order implies that the court feels that these officers and functionaries have amassed wealth and properties disproportionate to their normal means of income and in all probability they have been concealing the information from the income tax authorities also. This is severe reprimand coming from the High Court against a State organization.
From here we move to another connected issue. What administrative action will the Government take against the indicted officers and functionaries in view of the question raised by the Divisional Bench as to why the then Vice Chairman of JDA, who has the entire wherewithal at his command, did not take any action to get the illegal occupation of Government land vacated? The court order does hint at dereliction of duty. Is the administration overawed by the land mafia and political actors. The JDA officials have compromised with defaulters at the cost of the interest of the common man. Another case of 179 kanal and 4 marlas land at village Chak Bhagwana in Hiranagar tehsil, has also come to light through the status report in which the Deputy Commissioner Kathua has been asked to indicate as to why action in accordance with the law could not be taken against those persons, who had encroached upon this large chunk of State land? In totality, this case involves not only Municipal authorities but also those in Revenue Department. Once the case of fraud, dereliction of duty, misuse of power and other charges are established against the indicted employees, their dismissal from service and realization of normal taxes should be worked out.
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