District administrations across UT are continuing to carry out an anti-encroachment drive against illegal occupation of state land by the influential class of the UT. In Srinagar, 52 Kanals of land were retrieved on Tuesday. Out of 52 kanals, 40 Kanals of land which was under the possession of Nedous Hotel owner was retrieved by the authorities.
The drive witnessed drama when Muzaffar Shah, nephew of Farooq Abdullah, who heads Awami National Conference, tried to stop the demolition and created a ruckus in front of the demolition squad. Nedous Hotel belongs to the maternal uncles of present Srinagar MP and JKNC president Farooq Abdullah.
Shah claimed that the entire land of 180 Kanals belonged to Nedous which was refuted by the UT administration. According to the concerned Tehsildar, 40 out of 153 Kanals of the total land on which the said hotel is built, belonged to the state and the same has been retrieved.
Similarly, in Anantnag district administration has retrieved land which was under the occupation of two former ministers and heirs of a former chief minister. As per the details revealed, the district administration retrieved land illegally occupied from Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed (former minister from Congress party), family of Farooq Andrabi (Peoples Democratic Party) and heirs of Mir Qasim, former CM of Jammu & Kashmir, in Dooru area of Anantnag district.
One Kanal of Kahcharie land occupied by Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed at Arad Khoshipora, was retrieved. The outer wall of his premises which had been constructed on Kahcharie land was also demolished. “Notices for removing the encroachments had been issued to the former minister but he didn’t respond to them,” sources in government disclosed.
As per government sources, the family of Syed Farooq Andrabi, former legislator from Dooru, had encroached upon 2 kanals and 7 marlas of Shamilat land and had converted in into orchards at Shistergam also stands retrieved. Andrabi is also a close relative of former CM Mehbooba Mufti.
Also the authorities retrieved 15 Kanals of Shamilat lands which were occupied by the heirs of Syed Mir Qasim, former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Similarly since yesterday in different parts of Jammu yesterday the district administration along with team of revenue officers and police have evacuated more than 63 Kanals of prime state land worth crores during different eviction cum anti encroachment drive.
During a demolition drive, 3 pacca structures on state land including boundary walls was demolished on spot with the help of Police and prime state land measuring 21Kanal situated at village Deeli near Tawi Farm Bishnah Bridge was retrieved. The land is approximately one kilometer from National Highway and has value worth crores of rupees.
In another anti encroachment drive, state land measuring 12 kanals was retrieved in village Gole Tehsil Jammu West. A team of revenue officers along with police retrieved prime state land from the encroachers and installed boards on the retrieved land.
Similarly, in another eviction drive by district administration Jammu, retrieved state land measuring 23 Kanal 09 Marla situated at village Ghaink Tehsil Bhalwal. It is pertinent to mention that the retrieved land was encroached by a senior BJP leader and former Dy CM Kavinder Gupta.
In another demolition drive three pucca structures on state land including boundary walls were demolished on spot with the help of Police and prime state land measuring 21 kanal in khasra no 61 at village Deeli value of land as per stamp duty is approximately 18 crore was also retrieved.
In Samba a prime commercial land which was occupied under the now abolished Roshni act near NH 44 was also retrieved. Two patches of land which were under the possession of businessman Satdev Singh son of Nagar Singh and Sanjeev Sharma son of ex MLA Prakash Chand Sharma of BJP was also retrieved near Mansar Morh on National Highway in district Samba. JCB machinery was deployed for dismantling the RCC structures, boundary walls, pavements etc. Revenue officer informed that Roshni land measuring 3 kanals under khasra no. 97/66 and 3 kanal 4 marlas under khasra no. 97/66 was also retrieved today and has a commercial value of worth crores. The anti-encroachment drive was carried out under supervision of Assistant Commissioner Revenue Samba Manu Hansa while officers from Revenue and Police along with field staff were also present.
The UT administration has launched a massive drive against thousands of Kanals of land which stands illegally encroached by the influential people across UT.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to entertain the plea against Jammu and Kashmir government directing all deputy commissioners to remove illegal encroachments across UT, including the land occupied under previous Roshni act and also the Kaccharie land.
A bench headed by Justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna was unconvinced with the argument of the petitioners that despite Jammu and Kashmir state land Act 2001(Vesting of ownership to occupants) popularly known as Roshni Act being repealed, their ownership rights persisted.
Stating that the act has been repealed, the Court remarked “Once the Act has been repealed, where is the question of savings clause?” The bench also observed that if the court were to grant relief to those continuing to occupy the land, it would have larger repercussions. The petitioner eventually sought to withdraw the petition which the court allowed.