For nearly long forty-eight years, the Social Welfare Department forgot that it has a vast patch of land measuring 17 kanals as its property in Talab Tiloo, Nowabad locality. This is a prime locality and the land cost is considerably high in this area. Actually, the Department of Social Welfare had purchased this chunk of land way back in 1966 to serve as the premises of Beggar Home. However, the SWD went slow with this newly acquired property, and did not take serious interest in developing the site for the purpose for which it was purchased. The result was that people began to consider it as land not owned by anybody. Encroachments were made. Nobody protested and nobody raised his finger. Even the higher authorities of the Social Welfare Department had lost track of this property, which runs into crores now. Very amusingly, the Government Girls High School Nowabad also became a land grabbing institute and grabbed a vast chunk of land from this site for turning it into a football ground.
It is surprising that for forty-eight years the Social Welfare Department kept sleeping and never claimed the land, which was purchased by it and shown in revenue records as its property. Sources have revealed that the Department of Social Welfare is paying around four lakh rupees as rent per month for private accommodation in which it is housed at present. Some private individuals have grabbed part of the land and now only 13 kanals and 3 marlas are left out of 17 kanals of this prime land, which costs in crores today. This land was originally purchased by the Department of Social Welfare for raising Beggar Home and actually, some structure had been raised. However, it could not continue as Beggar Home but the Government Girls Higher Secondary School occupied a large chunk and converted it into playing ground. The Social Welfare Department has now taken the first step and approached the Deputy Commissioner Jammu to order its demarcation because some private parties have illegally grabbed some portion.
All one can say is that Social Welfare Department should pursue the case vigorously and vacate the land of illegal occupation and thereafter immediately start constructing the offices and other structures to house the branches of the Department. The huge rent paid by the department monthly is a big burden and it should be saved.
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