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| DC Srinagar fails to free state land of encroachment | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Sep 18: It is now more than two months since a piece of government land was encroached in Kathi Darwaza of Srinagar's old city. But the authorities, particularly the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Revenue officials, and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) have failed to act against the encroacher who has taken undue advantage of the ongoing unrest.
When people were busy celebrating Eid ul Fitr on July 6, a strong mafia of land grabbers active in Srinagar's old city encroached the land in General Bagh area of Kathi Darwaza. A large amount of state land has already been encroached in this area by land grabbers, but till date authorities have not even dared to touch these people.
As per details available with Early Times, more than 70 kanals of state land has already been grabbed by various people in connivance with the local land mafia in General Bagh and this process continues from last 20 years.
Sources say that an employee of Forest department is the kingpin of this land mafia and authorities have not taken any action against him.
"On the intervening night of July 6 and 7, the land grabber, Mohammad Hanief, an employee of the Forest department encroached upon around half kanal of land in General Bagh by erecting tin sheets around this plot. Only a month back he sold around 14 marlas of government land for Rs 84 lakhs. The authorities are however unmoved," said Fayaz Ahmad, a resident of Kathi Darwaza
Sources said that in 2002, the government allotted 5 marlas plots to 20 fire victims of Kawdara area of Srinagar. Only 5 to 6 families shifted to this place and others sold their plots to the land mafia. The mafia encroached upon the state land adjacent to these plots. The plots which were earlier of 5 marlas size became 1 to 2 kanals each. Worthwhile to mention that these plots allotted to victims of natural or man-made disaster can never be sold to anybody. Locals have demanded a probe into this issue as well.
Early this year Director Libraries had written a letter to DC Srinagar for transfer of 2 kanals of land for construction of a public library at General Bagh. But the ground staff of Revenue department informed the DC that no state land was available in General Bagh. "If no government land is available in General Bagh, then whose land has been encroached? Whose land was sold few months back at General Bagh near masjid? Can DC Srinagar throw some light on it?" asked Farooq Ahmad, a local resident.
Pertinent to mention that the J&K High Court recently directed the government to take action for retrieving 650 kanals of Kahcharie land allegedly encroached upon by land mafia at Zakura, Gulab Bagh and Bhagat Shura in suburbs of Srinagar.
One Peer Noor-ul-Haq had approached the court with a plea that the land mafia has usurped 650 kanals of Kahcharai land at Zakura, Ghulab Bagh Bhgat Shura, claiming to be owners of the land and have raised constructions on it.
Disposing of the petition, a bench of Justice Ramallingam Sudhakar directed Tehsildar Hazratbal to take action in the matter as competent authority as expeditiously as possible. In support of his contention, the petitioner produced a reply copy he had received through Right to Information Act (RTI) as proof that the land in question is a Kahcharie land.
While the RTI reply revealed that 459 kanals as per the 'Jamobandi' 1954-60 and 2010-11, situated at Zakura and Gulab Bagh has been grabbed, it divulged another piece of Kacharie land comprising 194 Kanals and 7 Marlas has been also usurped at Estate Bhagat Shura. The petitioner pleaded before High Court that he approached the Revenue department for taking necessary action against the land mafias in order to evict them from the land.
The authorities, he pleaded, however, failed to discharge their statutory duty for the reasons best known to them. He submitted before High Court that the inaction by the authorities prompted him to file a petition before the court to protect the precious state land. For retrieving the land, the petitioner had sought directions to the Revenue authorities to discharge their duty by evicting the land mafias from the illegal encroachment over the kahcharie land.
"In view of the relief sought for by the petitioner, Tehsildar Hazratbal Srinagar/ competent authority is directed to consider the nature of complaint filed by the petitioner and take action in the matter in accordance with law as expeditiously as possible" the High court order said.
Locals of Kathi Darwaza are now planning to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before J&K High Court so that all the land which has been illegally grabbed by land mafia is retrieved by Govt. " Revenue Department has failed to act against the land mafia in Srinagar city , we have now only hope that s judiciary and very soon we will file a PIL in this case before High Court " said a local resident of Kathi Darwaza while talking to Early Times.
It is worthwhile to mention that Early Times had filed a detailed report on July 9, but till date authorities like DC office Srinagar, SMC and even Lakes and Waterways Development Authority have failed to demolish the illegal structure. |
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