Land mafia, of which we have no dearth in the State, is practicing general loot of the State land with connivance of revenue, forest and other functionaries. The Government is unable to stem the tide and show the land grabbers their proper place. It is so because influential and powerful are involved in land grabbing cases. Their strength and influence can be gauged from the fact that even despite instructions from the court of law from time to time, nothing effective happens that would make the illegal land grabbers fear the onslaught of the law and vacate the land.
The Division Bench of the High Court has been hearing a PIL regarding encroachment of 20 lakh kanals of State land by the mafia. It is pertinent to remind our readers that earlier, in another PIL the case of blatant irregularities in Roshni Scheme were also brought to light and the court had asked the Vigilance Organization to submit a status report. The court has now repeated its order and asked the State Government to submit a status report regarding the mechanism it has formulated of how the illegally occupied land can be vacated. Such court orders are a big headache and a source of embarrassment for the Government because those who run the Government are also suspected to be involved in land grabbing activities. Another difficulty is of non availability of updated Revenue record. We are not aware whether the record has been deliberately made inaccessible and unavailable or not. Generally speaking, people are of the opinion that Revenue officials have been conniving at distortion of revenue record. Furthermore, experience has shown that vacation of illegal occupation of land cannot be made possible only through the use of police force. It has to be supported essentially by revenue record and other evidence. After all in absence of revenue and other record, the benefit of doubt will always go to the land-grabbers.
True, that the Government has now introduced the digitizing of all revenue record system in the State. That will take its time. But that is not going to revive the destroyed or distorted record. Therefore, the entire responsibility lies with the Revenue Department and a mechanism has to be devised how best the entire revenue record can be established on facts and on ground situation. May be the Government will need to install a commission of inquiry for this purpose which will uncover the mystery behind which the land grabbing activities remain hidden.
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