Lt. Governer Manoj Sinha Ji recently chaired a meeting of the officers to take stock of performance of the Revenue Department. Threadbare discussion was held regarding various works done by the department including digitalization of Jama Bandis issuing of Land Pass Books, removal of encroachments on state and Kahcharia land, writing of Girdawari’s etc. The LG directed the officers to adopt zero tolerance regarding encroachment on Kahcharia and state land in the district. He directed them to take measures by which encroached land will be retrieved on war footing basis. He stressed upon the officers and officials to conduct special mutations camps in every village of the district. On September 27 this year Honorable High court has directed the authorities to retrieve a big chunk of state land in Bandipora. Justice Sanjeev kumar has directed the officers of the revenue department of District Bandipora to ensure that the illegally encroached grazing Land Nearly 160 canals in estate Banakoot be retrieved from the illegal occupants. In Jammu and Kashmir, land is classified under three categories: Private or Individual Property. State Owned Land and village common land which include grazing land. Over time state land and village common land has been occupied by local residents. If someone encroached on these types of lands it was known to the officials of the revenue department. These encroachments became in every corner of the state. The Government of Jammu & Kashmir under the supervision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that all the illegally occupied state and Kahcharia land will be retrieved from the illegal occupants and the same will used for public purposes such as playgrounds, schools, hospitals, community centres. The divisional administration has also made it clear and is monitoring the same on monthly basis. Acting on the directions of the district administration the Tehsil Administration Anantnag conducted many encroachment drives in the entireTehsil and retrieved Kahcharia land and demolished some illegally constructed structures. Acting tough against the illegal encroachments on Kahcharia land, the Tehsil administration under the supervision of Tehsildar Anantnag Umer Gull (JKAS) conducted encroachment drives and retrieved nearly two hundred kanals of state land from the illegal occupants under survey no 166 in the village Karepora and the same land was handed over to another department for industrial estate.
In village Jogigund approximately eighty three canals of Kahcharia land under survey number 458 was retrieved and handed over to department of Higher education for the construction of Govt. degree College Achabal. In the similar way in estate Bumthan and Zodar nearly seventy Kanals of land was retrieved from the encroachers and handed over to department. In village Donipawa approximately twenty eight Canals under Survey No. 481 Kahcharia Land was retrieved from illegal occupants and the same is used from constructing Kendria Vidhayalaya. In addition there are many more villages where kacharia land was retrieved from the illegal occupants and many government institutions such as patwar kharies, Nayabhats, pathways were constructed on these retrieved patches like in villages Brinti , Bhatpora, Chee etc. Tehsildar Anantnag is monitoring the status of progress on eviction and encroachment of state and Kahcharia land on weekly basis. Deputy Commisioner Anantnag has already instructed that under land revenue act Samvat 1996 and Common Lands Act 1956 tehsildars are empowred to evict the illegal occupants from the state land, Kahcharia land. Acting on the directions of higher ups tehsildar Anantnag has fixed the target regarding eviction of illegal occupants an the prevention of as such encroachments. Tehsildar Anantnag said that drive shall continue in all villages of the Tehsil as deputy commissioner has given strict directions against the land encroachments. While interacting with this author he added that the drive will continue till all encroachments will be removed. He went further on saying that strict action will be taken against the encroachments for indulging in unlawful,activities. It is to mention here that Tehsil Anantnag has 17607 canals and 11 marlas state land and 17212 canals and 19 marlas kacharia land. Due to the efforts of district and Tehsil administration major chunks of land has been retrieved from the illegal occupants and only 4525 canals and 12 marlas state land and 3720 canals and 16 marlas of Kahcharia land is yet to be retrieved from the encroachers yet for which tehsildar Anantnag has directed officials that zero balance of encroached land shall be made possible within coming few months and it is estimated that Tehsil Anantnag will be the first Tehsil in whole territory where the state and Kahcharia land will be free from encroachers. All other Tehsils of J&K shall follow the steps taken by Tehsildar Anantnag and big chunks of state and Kahcharia land when retrieved from the illegal occupants will be used for public purposes and the layman of the union territory will feel a sigh of relief.
(The author is Incharge District Record Room at DC Office Anantnag. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author but aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
[email protected]
