Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 29: The ‘political pressure’ is preventing the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) from getting over 400 kanal prime land at Gole Gujral vacated from the encroachers, who have been enjoying free hand during the past quite long time and continuing their illegal activity right under the nose of the concerned authorities.
This over 400 kanal prime land belonging to Jammu Development Authority and Revenue Training Institute under Khasra No.746 min is situated at Gole Gujral near SOS School. The prime land is being encroached by some elements by first carrying out temporary constructions and then turning the same into pacca structures during the past quite long time but despite being aware of this neither Jammu Development Authority (JDA) nor other concerned agencies bothered to get the same vacated.
“Given the prevailing situation, it seems that concerned authorities have made up their mind to get the prime land slipped out of their hands which otherwise was meant for the construction of a colony for Economically Weaker Sections of the society”, people residing in surrounding colonies told EXCELSIOR.
In the month of August this year, when the issue was initially highlighted by EXCELSIOR, the then Vice-Chairman of the JDA, Satish Nehru (presently Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department) had assured to get the FIRs lodged against the encroachers to get the land retrieved. But the ground situation clearly indicates that nothing has happened till date.
According to the sources, in the recent past some officers posted in the Revenue Complex at Gole Gujral had taken up the encroachment issue with the concerned authorities of the JDA expressing urgency for necessary action in order to save the Government property. However, JDA authorities remained unmoved till date.
When contacted, a senior officer of the JDA, while pleading anonymity, said, “there are some political pressures about this particular chunk of land. Since the elections are round the corner, few politicians want us not to adopt tough posture against the encroachers”, adding “they want that encroachers should be prevented only from raising permanent structures and their temporary structures must not be touched”. He, however, refused to name the politicians, who have asked them to adopt half-hearted approach towards this huge chunk of land.
When asked, he said, “we will shortly launch drive to demolish the pacca structures if any raised on the land, which was earmarked for construction of a colony for Economically Weaker Sections of society way back in 2007”, adding “for the demolition drive huge deployment of the police will be required as whenever in the past we tried to evict the encroachers they launched attack on JDA as well as police teams”.
Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, when approached, said, “directions were issued to the JDA a number of times for getting the land evicted from the encroachers. I had even written to the police for providing necessary assistance to the JDA in their anti-encroachment drive”.
In reply to a question, he said, “they are planning some action as I have once again sent a communication to JDA officers on the issue”.
The blatant encroachment of prime land is being allowed at a time when High Court has already taken cognizance of similar encroachments on Government land across the State and issued several directions to the State Government.
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