Outer walls of properties of ex-minister, family member of top cop demolished
STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: Authorities in Kashmir went into overdrive on Tuesday to retrieve the encroached government land from influential persons, as they demolished outer walls of the properties belonging to a former minister, the family of a senior police officer and a businessman.
The revenue department retrieved about 40 kanals of land allegedly occupied by the owners of Hotel Nedou’s at MA Road here, officials said.
Nedou’s owners are in relation with the Abdullahs of the National Conference.
The officials said the hotel is built on 153 kanals of land, out of which an area of 40 kanals is the state land and the rest is the leased land.
They said a boundary wall and a shed were demolished as part of the eviction drive.
Jammu Admn retrieves nearly 8 acres of prime state land
Jammu: Authorities retrieved nearly eight acres of state land here allegedly encroached upon by influential persons. “Continuing with the anti-encroachment drive, Jammu district administration today evacuated more than 63 kanals (nearly eight acres) prime state land worth crores of rupees at different places of the district,” an official said.
During a demolition drive, a team of revenue officers and police demolished three illegal structures including boundary walls and retrieved prime state land measuring 21 kanals in Deeli village near Tawi farm in Bishnah bridge, the officials said.
The land is approximately one kilometre from national highway and values crores of rupees, they said.
In another anti-encroachment drive, state land measuring 12 kanals was retrieved in village Gole in Jammu West, they said.
A team of revenue officers along with police retrieved prime state land from the encroachers and installed a sign board on the spot, they said.
Similarly, the district administration retrieved state land measuring 23 kanals 9 marla (3 acres) in village Ghaink in Bhalwal.
The retrieved land was encroached by a former legislature which was evacuated by the district administration in Jammu, the officials said.
Some media reports suggested that the Bhalwal land on the outskirts of the city was allegedly occupied by BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta.
However, Gupta has denied the media reports and said that the land retrieved in Bhalwal does not belong to him.
“The land retrieved by administration (in Bhalwal) does not belong to me. It is a government land. Some people who are spreading this want to tarnish my image,” he told PTI. He further said that he also denied such reports last year.
Special Anti-encroachment squads constituted by District Administration Srinagar were headed by Tehsildars who conducted mass scale anti encroachment drives while taking assistance of Police and other departments. A team of Revenue and Police Officers/Officials headed by Tehsildar Eidgah, Ishfaq Ahamd Khan launched a massive anti-encroachment drive in Palpora area and retrieved over Rs 50 kanals of State land from the land grabbers.
In Anantnag district of south Kashmir, the boundary wall and a security bunker of the residence of former minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayyed a Congress leader at Dahmal Khoshipora area was demolished by a team of revenue department, the officials said.
They said the structures were built on the state land.
Speaking to reporters at the spot, Naib Tehsildar, Damhal, Mohammad Yaseen, said Sayyed had “illegally” occupied the state land.
“We demolished the outer wall and some bunkers which were built on the government land. We can use this land for a playground or a hospital,” he said.
In another action, the revenue department demolished the outer wall of an orchard land belonging to the family to a deputy inspector general of police-rank official at Mattan area of Anantnag, the officials said.
They said the land measuring about half-a-kanal was “illegally” occupied by the family.
An anti-encroachment drive was also held in Karan Nagar area of the city here, where the outer fencing of the state land allegedly encroached upon was demolished and 12.5 kanals of land were retrieved, the officials said.
They said three buildings having some shops built on the land were also sealed.
On Monday, the authorities had demolished the boundary wall of a SSP-rank officer at Humhama in the outskirts of the city here.
Meanwhile, in a major anti-encroachment drive, launched at Balhama and Khonmoh under the supervision of Tehsildar Pantha Chowk, Rakib Ahmad as many as 25 kanals of Kacharie land was retrieved.
In addition, 27 kanals and 12 marlas of State land was also evicted from the encroachment.
Likewise, in Tehsil North, 36 kanals of Kacharie land was retrieved in Rakh e Zakura and 26 kanals of State land in Ahal area respectively. Similarly, in Khimber 5 kanal 10 marla Kachraie land and 10 marlas of State land was also retrieved by a Revenue Team headed by Tehsildar North, Kaiser Mehmood.
In South Tehsil of the District, a team headed by Tehsildar, Moean Azhar conducted a massive anti-encroachment drive and retrieved over 40 kanals of State land in Maisuma 8 kanals in Nursing Garh areas from the encroachers.
The team also evicted 4 kanals of prime land in Tashwan halqa of the Tehsil.
Similarly, in Khushipora area of Central Shalteng Tehsil over 12 kanals of Kahcharie land and 6 kanals of State land has been evicted in Rakh eGund Aksha areas.
In Chanapora Tehsil over 250 kanals of Kahcharie land was also evicted from land grabbers in Estate Nowgam area under the supervision of Tehsildar Chanpora, Saqib Saleem.
In Khanyar Tehsil 2 hotels namely Hotel In and Hotel Goodwill Commercial cum residential Hotel constructed illegally over 1 Kanals and 11 marlas of land in Brari Nambal were sealed and taken in possession under the supervision of Tehsildar Khanyar Aailya Tabasum.
Pertinent to mention that LG Administration has clearly said that common masses and poor people wouldn’t be touched during the ongoing encroachment drive launched to retrieve state land from encroachers. It has been also said in the statement that the government is concerned to safeguard the interests of poor people and only those who have illegally occupied the Government land by using their positions will be dealt strictly. Accordingly District Administrations have been stressed to launch anti encroachment drives to retrieve land from encroacher so that all Government land is evicted from the illegal occupants.
The Deputy Commissioner Srinagar has lauded the efforts of the concerned Tehsildars and their teams, the Deputy Commissioner asked them to continue the anti-encroachment drives in their respective jurisdictions as per standing instructions with added zeal and dedication so that all State/Kahcharie land is retrieved.