Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 11: The State Vigilance Commission (SVC) today recommended restoration of prime state land worth crores of rupees to the government after it became known that the land had been illegally sold off by two brothers to other people.
Blowing the lid off the scam during a probe into an alleged case of illegal transfer of state land, SVC found out that Kulwant Singh and Bikarm Singh, sons of Kartar Singh of Shikargah Tral in Pulwama district of Kashmir, had sold off prime state land vested in them by virtue of section 4 and section 8 of The J&K Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976, according to SVC sources.
Kulwant Singh, while recording his statement before SVC, stated that he and his brother had sold out 67 kanals and 12 marals of land under khasra Nos 958/458 Min, 959/458 min, 805/459 min, 507/446 min and 805/446 min to one Ghulam Mohiudin, son of Abdul Wahab Mir of Malbagh Naseembagh, Srinagar for Rs 2.04 cr.
During scrutiny of the revenue records, it further came to light that the revenue authorities had entered the buyer's name in "Tenant Column" as "Tiller" from Kharief 2013 in the revenue records. The land, having been obtained by Kulwant and Bikram under section 4 and section 8 of the J&K Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976, could not be sold and sale of such land was not only illegal but, by doing so the land had to be restored to the state by invoking the relevant provisions of the Act.
It has also come to fore that the two brothers have sold 67 kanals and 12 marlas of land, whereas, as per the revenue records, only 44 kanals and 1 marla had been vested in them, thereby, indicating that they had sold out 23 kanals and 11 marlas of additional land, which as per the contents of the complaint is state land under forest department.
The SVC referred the matter to the deputy commissioner, Pulwama, with the direction to take action under section 13(3) of the J&K Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976, so that the said land after inquiry could be vested in the state. --(JNF) |
