*Record found deficient in several cases
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 27: The disclosure made by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India about the multi-crore Roshni Scam was just the tip of an iceberg as more startling revelations have started coming to the fore during the ongoing investigation by the State Vigilance Organization (SVO) into the biggest ever land scam in Jammu and Kashmir.
The preliminary findings of the SVO that too in some districts have established that all out efforts were made by the officers of the Revenue Department to misuse the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir State Lands (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act popularly known as Roshni Scheme and there were no attempts from any quarters to check the blatant abuse of the scheme.
According to the Vigilance findings, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, in some of the cases in Udhampur district, the land viz Ghair Mumkin Banna, Ghair Mumkin Jarh, Banjar Kadeem, Ghair Mumkin Arh Banna which cannot be transferred under Roshni Scheme has been vested to the beneficiaries. However, the files of these cases were deficient in records as the application forms were found incomplete and the documents like Aks Tatima/Shajra/PRC etc were not found.
“In some other cases of district Udhampur, it has been found that the State land occupants/ beneficiaries of the village Suitan, are originally from district Jodhpur of Rajasthan, who migrated to their present residence and working as laborers in the district”, the report said, adding “the applicants don’t possess the Permanent Resident Certificate of J&K State but the Approval Committee has approved their cases for granting of ownership rights under Roshni Act”.
The report said, “the further details/records are required to reach at logical conclusion which is still awaited”.
In case of district Jammu, the report said that the team scrutinized in the office of Deputy Commissioner 398 cases of Nazool, which were approved by the committee. Out of 398 cases, only 97 occupants were found to have deposited money and 301 occupants have not deposited money.
“Out of 398 cases, 30 files have been received which are being scrutinized and the cases which have been pointed out by the audit report under the heading of excess allotment (over 2 kanals) were also scrutinized along with the randomly selected cases”, report said.
While referring to the cases of a renowned businessman and a doctor, who according to the Principal Accountant General Audit were conferred ownership rights in violation of the sealing of more than two kanals of land, the report said, “businessman having a motor vehicle showroom on B C Road has been conferred proprietary rights of land measuring three kanals, nine marlas and 209 square feet while as doctor has been conferred rights on land measuring three kanals, one marla and 245 square feet”.
The Vigilance report, however, contradicted the PAG findings by mentioning that ownership rights have been conferred as per the directions of the High Court.
According to the report, one Ghulam Rasool, son of Noor Ahmad of Ghaink and Bashir Ahmad, son of Hoshar Din of Katal Batal have been given the ownership rights of the non-agricultural land under the purview of the agricultural land in blatant violation of the Roshni Act. “However, reports pertaining to these cases are under detailed scrutiny in order to reach a lawful conclusion”, the report added.
In case of Samba district, the report said that 1440 cases were found approved and 195 cases were randomly selected by the SIT. “Out of 195 files, 155 files were received and the scrutiny of the same is being conducted while as in some of these files record has been found deficient regarding which request has been made to the concerned authorities for providing the same expeditiously”, the report added.
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