Early Times Report
Rajouri, Jan 22: Thousands of kanals of forest and state land has been converted into colonies by land mafia in criminal nexus with officials of Forest and Revenue department by tampering records and administrative machinery as well as political leadership have turned a blind eye towards these activities. While the phenomenon is spread across the state, Rajouri district is worst victim of it.
According to records tabled in the Assembly in 2013, J&K State Revenue Department stated that approximately 396018 kanals of government land is either encroached or under illegal occupation in Rajouri district. As a huge spread of state land i.e. 396018 kanals of government land is under illegal encroachment and that is why the district tops the list in notoriety for illegal encroachments in the 22 districts of the State. The official records tabled in assembly some two year ago giving statistical data said that across Jammu region about 1603580 kanals of State land is under illegal occupation of the people or encroached which includes 152416 kanals in Udhampur, 167521 kanals in Ramban, 141524 kanals in Reasi, 97133 kanals in Samba, 129717 kanals in Poonch , 177551 kanals in Doda , 104746 kanals in Kathua and 75159 kanals in Kishtwar district.
Mohd Tariq and Balbir Sharma member of (Save forest) NGO said that an unholy criminal nexus is prevailing in Rajouri district between the officials at the helms of affairs in Forest, Revenue and Municipality Departments respectively and the land mafia which has encroached thousand of kanals of state land in the district especially under the jurisdiction of Rajouri and Thannamandi. Balbir further demanded a high level probe including a Central investigation Bureau (CBI) inquiry into the matter to expose the culprits. Gulshan Kumar publicity secretary and media secretary, NGO too have expressed their concern over increase in spread of tentacles of the land mafia especially in and around Thannamandi town.
Members of different NGOs have appealed to the Com/Secretary,forest and revenue to initiate departmental inquiries into the allegations and must book them behind bar & transfer those employees of these departments who have been posted at their present positions for the last many years. Meanwhile NGO members alleged that Nb Tehsildar Thannamandi is, involved with Land grabbers and demanded through probe in the acts of omission and commission undertaken by him. They also sought a through probe in encroachment of land belonging to PHE department, Education department,, DIET complex ,old district hospital land etc. |
