Who is running the Govt? Government or a blackmailer
ST NEWS SERVICE
JAMMU: Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla on Sunday expressed surprise over a news report appearing in daily Excelsior of 12th February 2012 under caption “Bhalla orders inquiry into land grabbing, terming it as totally false.
Describing the report as frivolous and baseless, the minister said that earlier also Sehdev Rohmetra, Editor-in-Chief, Daily Excelsior has attributed to him a baseless statement regarding some inquiry orders against Raj Daluja, Editor-in-Chief, State Times.
Bhalla expressed his anguish and disenchantment over the unbecoming behavior of a person, running a newspaper for the past 48 years, just to settle personal scores.
Interestingly, Deputy Commissioner, Samba Mubarak Singh, in the meantime, confirmed that he has got no instructions from the Revenue Minister, as alleged by the newspaper. “Therefore, there is no question of deputing Additional Deputy Commissioner for the inquiry”, he maintained.
Mubarak Singh said that he had got a phone call from the office of Daily Excelsior, with the caller inquiring about the land owned by Gautam Daluja at Jakh in Samba. The caller wanted to know the exact status of land and the land of cremation ground encroached by Gautam Daluja, the Deputy Commissioner added.
He said that after verifying the records, he told the representative of the Daily Excelsior that Gautam Daluja was in possession of 50 kanals of land, legally purchased with valid documents. “I informed the representative that Gautam Daluja was in possession of 50 kanals of land and not 72 kanals, as is being asked”, he said, adding that he told him that there is no graveyard adjacent to the land of Gautam Daluja. Therefore, there is no question of grabbing’ the graveyard land, he maintained.
The Deputy Commissioner Samba expressed stock and surprise that despite telling facts to the representative of the Daily Excelsior, the paper has published a distorted version to defame Raj Daluja, who doesn’t figure anywhere in the ownership of the land.
The Daily Excelsior has been using such tactics to browbeat and harass the government officials and politicians, STATE TIMES has already reported how Sehdev Rohmetra alias Chittu and his paid agents were calling different departments just to create obstacles in routine and normal official work to Raj Daluja and his nears and dears.
One such officer visited the office of STATE TIMES on Sunday and said on the assurance of anonymity that some days back his Private Secretary informed him that S.D Rohmetra wanted to speak to him. “When the call was transferred to me, I wished him by saying Good Morning Chittu Sahib and was embarrassed when the Sehdev Rohmetra started abusing me saying that Chittu was my nick name during childhood and young age’ so you should call me Rohmetra Sahib”.
“As a goodwill gesture, I apologised for using the word “Chittu”, he said, adding that he asked him, “Sorry, Rohmetra Sahib what can I do for you.” On this, in a very authoritative tone, Rohmetra directed me that such and such file belonging to one of near relative of Raj Daluja was lying before me and it should be rejected in one way or the other. “When I politely told Rohmetra that I will decide on the matter on its merits after going through the file, he got infuriated and started using unparliamentary language. He was threatened me that if the file was not rejected, one way or the other, I should keep my baggage ready for transfer to a remote place”. The officer said though I preferred not be argue over the issue, Rohmetra told him that his minister was in his pocket. “If he (minister) wants to see his photographs and proper projection in my paper (Daily Excelsior) you must act as I say”, Rohmetra told the officer.
One fails to understand who is running the government bureaucrats, honourable ministers and honourable Chief Minister or a known blackmailer, land grabber, Hawala racketeer Sehdev Rohmetra alias Chittu? Will the government maintain criminal silence or act against Rohmetra to save the dignity of government and its officers.