Encroachers of prime lands

07/12/2018

Several bureaucrats, senior police officers, ex-Ministers and legislators have encroached huge chunk of Kahcharai and State land in Budgam district's Humhama area, which is a prime location near airport, by throwing to winds provisions of land laws that too in connivance with the field functionaries of the Revenue Department. This has been revealed by a committee of officers with numerous recommendations to the Revenue Department including initiation of stringent action against all the encroachers in the shortest possible time so as to achieve the objective behind ordering of enquiry over two years back. The Government vide Order No. 105(Rev) dated August 11, 2016 constituted a committee to enquire into the alleged encroachment of Kahcharai and State land at village Humhama in Budgam district and Soiteng tehsil in Srinagar district. The terms of reference of the committee were demarcation of State and Kahcharai land; identification of the encroachers along with the details of the land encroached upon; position of records and entries made vis-à-vis these encroachments; officers and officials of the Revenue Department responsible for facilitating the encroachments; identification of persons in whose favourKahcharai land was given in exchange of the revenue estates along with quantum of land and whether such exchanges were made in accordance with the land laws.
After over two years long hectic exercise, the committee has finally submitted its report to the Revenue Department mentioning that several senior civil, police and other officers along with politicians including ex-Ministers and legislators are among the encroachers of Kahcharai and State land in Humhama and Soiteng. They project the illegal constructions as that of Government for the security bunkers and sheds. However, neither the type designs of these structures resemble with any Government construction nor the security agencies have sought any permission from the Government to construct such structures substantiating these claims and there is no permission from Srinagar Municipal Corporation under whose jurisdiction the area falls. The committee has recommended that the Government must pass explicit and timely directions to the Deputy Commissioner concerned to evict all the encroachers by adopting due procedure of law within a period of three months. Those bureaucrats and police officers who have encroached the land need to be proceeded against by the Government and the revenue officials who have attested the mutations in illegal manner are required to be identified for taking departmental action.

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