SRINGAR: The Vigilance Organization Kashmir (SVO) registered at least three cases against different officers and officials of Revenue Departments of Districts Srinagar, Pulwama and Budgam respectively and the private beneficiaries regarding fraudulent and illegal transfer of land under Roshni Act.
A Vigilance Organization official said that in the light of the observation of Principal Accountant General (Audit) and verification conducted so far by specially constituted SIT who were assigned task of looking into allegations against fraudulent transfer of commercial, residential, agricultural and institutional land under Roshni Act, it has emerged that the concerned officers and officials of Revenue Department with ulterior motives have illegally and in a dubious manner transferred the land in favour of hundreds of individuals illegally and by unlawful means as such the aim and objectives of Roshni Scheme has been subverted.
Citing an example, SVO stated that rates of commercial land has been fixed as per that available in residential areas, rates in residential areas have been fixed much lower than the prevailing market rates.
It said agriculture land has been converted into residential land and likewise institutional land has also been converted into residential land which substantially decreased the value of the land in question and revenue generated scheme under Roshni Act miserably failed and state exchequer suffered loss which could go into hundreds of corers of rupees.
The Comptroller and Auditor General had estimated a Rs 25,000-crore land transfer scam in Jammu and Kashmir, under Roshni scheme, making it the biggest ever such scandal in the state.
The scheme, under the Jammu Kashmir State Lands (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, 2001, was meant to raise nearly Rs 25,448 crore to finance power projects by selling over 20.64 lakh kanals of state land under unauthorised occupation.
In a report tabled in the Assembly earlier this year, CAG had alleged irregularities in the transfer of the encroached land to occupants, saying only Rs 76 crore had been realised, defeating the purpose of the legislation. A PIL has been submitted to the High Court seeking a CBI probe into Roshni Scam and State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) constituted a SIT to probe it.
Cases have been registered vide FIR numbers 17,18 and 19 of 2014 under section 5(1)(d), 5(2) J&K PC. Act Svt. 2006 r/w Section 17 of J&K state land Act 2001.
Pertinently BJP had announced that it will press for a probe into Rs 25,000 crore Roshni scam in Jammu and Kashmir after elections if it was voted to power.
Party candidate from Udhampur Lok Sabha seat Jitendra Singh who is now union minister in prime Ministers Office had said probe would be held into Roshni scam and it would be BJPs top priority.
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