District Vigilance Officer and a joint team of Revenue and Police shall hold a thorough investigation into role of some officials and private beneficiaries involving prime land worth crores located within municipal limits of Rajouri town mutated / allotted wrongly in violation of laid down norms and rules.In a high level meeting of officers convened today it was decided to retrieve the land and its further development into parking lots and bus stand.A month long discreet enquiry into the land records revealed that in many cases ownership rights were granted in violation of J&K State Lands (Vesting of Ownership Rights) Act and Rules thereof. The field officials and custodians of record changed the type of soil / kind of land to accord undue benefit to private persons.The crime came to fore after a process was initiated for identification of lands for creation of parking lots to decongest city roads.
The revenue papers of stated private lands were examined w.e.f. Misl-e-Haqiyat of 1961-62 and it was found after thorough scrutiny that a number of irregularities were committed by officials to accord undue benefit to private persons.In four different cases land situated in 34 different Khasra numbers came under scrutiny. It was revealed that out of 89 Kanal 03 Marla land comprised of these Khasra numbers a total of 56 Kanal 01 Marla land is state land worth more than Rs 40 Cr at prevailing market rates. However the record was manipulated over a period of many years for wrongful and illegal mutation of land thereby causing huge loss to state exchequer.The team of Revenue Officers deputed by Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri furnished a detailed report along with documents requisitioned. A detailed scrutiny at the level of senior officers for over one month revealed that malafide attempts were made by some officials / officers to conceal the facts pointed out by Deputy Commissioner hence accordingly there explanation has been called.In some glaring irregularities Gair Mumkin Rod (Riverine) and Gair Mumkin Kuhl (irrigation canal) type of land was allotted under Roshni Act by granting ownership rights.
Revenue officials of Irrigation department are also under scanner for their role in allowing department land worth crores facilitated to be encroached.In another criminal act State Land was shown as occupied by "Auqaaf Committee", later allotted to private persons and further mutated in favour of his sons in illegal manner. There is no mention of Auqaf Department in records or any order to this effect which reflects that some officials used this entry to illegally allot state land to private persons.Further, State Land measuring 4 Kanal 9 Marla was mutated in favour of private persons under Roshni Act without any prior girdawri in blatant violation of rules.Further, illegal constructions have been raised on state land even after inspection of senior officers and without any mention of same in revenue records some officials furnished report about existing structures in violation of rules to help and assist some land encroachers to make their case recently. Such officials have been asked to explain their position before action is initiated against them.
A committee headed by District Vigilance Officer will investigate the matter viz-a-viz involvement of officials and private persons in the case, granting of undue and illegal ownership rights, encroachment on state land, illegal entries in revenue records and other related issues.The committee is comprised of two revenue officers and two police officers apart from District Statistics and Evaluation Officer for fixing the quantum of losses. The committee will formulate its report in a period of one month which will be submitted competent authority for action.Meanwhile, District Administration has proposed to construct Northern Area Bus Stand over more than 55 Kanal state land and parking space at three different locations for more than 2000 vehicles.