Budgam: Taking suo moto cognizance of the illegal activities of land mafia active in Central Kashmir, Crime Headquarter Kashmir has ordered an inquiry into the case.
With brazen violation of the Agrarian Reforms Act and a host of orders from a Division Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, conversion of agricultural land for residential and commercial purposes is going on under the nose of the District administration in Budgam. A fleet of over 30 tippers was used by a land mafia on the night of October 14 to fill up agricultural land of over 50 Kanals. This stretch of land was slated to be developed for an unauthorised residential colony at Ompora village near Budgam Railway Station.
Police have already booked an accused (broker) whom they identified as Bashir Ahmed Pal, a resident of Ompora Budgam while the other accused are still at large. They reportedly manhandled the complainant and smashed the windowpanes of his private vehicle outside Tehsil Office Budgam, barely few meters away from the Police Station. The locals at Ompora Budgam have been alleging that there is a nexus between a local land mafia, Police and the Revenue authorities.
“It is a huge nexus. Simple paddy land at this site costs Rs 17-20 lakh a Kanal. After the earth filling, same land is sold at Rs 45-50 lakh per Kanal. While as the expenditure on earth filling is around Rs 3 lakh, around Rs 2 lakh per Kanal is paid as bribe to Police and Revenue officials. Thus conversion means benefit of around Rs 30 lakh each Kanal. That’s why everybody in the government shuts eyes and risks even contempt of the High Court orders”, said locals.
A resident Ghulam Rasool made a sensational revelation. “Police and Revenue officials have already registered three FIRs in January, April and May for this violation so as to prove that they are working and are not part and parcel of this scandal. The accused get released on bail and resume their illegal job within days. Not a single case has been challaned. The complaints sent to Chief Secretary, Divisional Commissioner and DGP are gathering dust as nobody has the spine to touch the Naib Tehsildar who has been continuously posted in Budgam for over 25 years and become a billionaire”.
“Naib Tehsildar has been suspended three times but it takes him just weeks to get himself reinstated and posted back to Humhama or Budgam. Whole government knows that he has got hundreds of Kanals of Gascharai land grabbed by land mafia near Industrial Estate of Ompora where another unauthorised colony is being developed. Huge amounts of this ill gotten money go to different influential people and government officers”, another resident revealed. The residents however, described Tehsildar Suhail Ahmad as an honest and hard working officer.
Tehsildar of Budgam Suhail Ahmad visited the spot. On his return, he said: “Yes, that’s right. I myself observed fresh violation and massive earth filling on this site. I immediately sent a written direction to SHO Budgam to file a fresh FIR. He has now filed case FIR no: 287/2015 under sections 188, 427 and 447 and got one of the accused, Bashir Ahmad Paul, arrested”.
The Crime Headquarters after taking suo moto cognizance of these illegal activities of land mafia has started inquiry vide PV bearing number PV(K)129 of 2015.
Interestingly, conversion of agricultural land in Budgam has been going on also in blatant violation of a host of orders of the DB of Jammu and Kashmir High Court in the PIL filed by an NGO, Human Watch International. Judges Muzaffar Hussain Attaar, Janak Raj Kotwal, Mohammad Yaqoob Mir besides Mansoor Ahmad Mir, have issued different orders to DCs to ensure that no agricultural land was converted anywhere in the State.
In March this year, DB comprising Justice Attaar and Justice Kotwal slapped notices of contempt of court on Deputy Commissioners of Anantnag, Pulwama, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kupwara, and Shopian. The direction followed as the Deputy Commissioners failed to file the compliance and the status report as directed by the court on previous date of hearing.
In December last year, the court had directed all the Deputy Commissioners to comply with November 25, 2014 order, warning them of contempt proceedings over failure. On November 25, the court had directed all Deputy Commissioners to faithfully follow statutory provisions and its directions on conversion of agriculture land and file fresh status report. The court had already passed directions for implementing the Land Revenue Act, Agrarian Reforms Act, J&K Alienation of Orchards Act 1975 and other applicable Acts.
The Acts, as observed by the court, empower the Revenue authorities to stop the conversion of the land for other uses such as construction of houses, etc., and take action against the violators. The same DB termed the compliance report filed by the Deputy Commissioner Baramulla as mere eye wash and warned contempt proceedings against him over the failure to comply with its orders. Subsequently, DCs filed fresh compliance reports.
Under the law, the land on which violation of Agrarian Reforms Act has taken place, shall vest in the State.
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