VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: In the wake of continuing massive encroachment of government land at the so-called Sidhra Satellite Township, the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) has been deliberately avoiding the main queries in an RTI application filed by a Jammu based Advocate Vilakshana Singh in January this year.
Reason: The JDA knows that there is no check as the State Information Commission is lying defunct after the retirement of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) G R Sofi and Information Commissioner Justice (retired) S K Sharma. Both the posts are lying vacant since they relinquished their offices.
Over 5700 Kanals of government land has allegedly been encroached while JDA is not only helpless to retrieve this land but also not in a position to stop the land grabbers from furthering encroach and sell the land on exorbitant prices on affidavits.
On January 11, 2016, Advocate Vilakshana Singh filed RTI application with 21 questions. In reply after three months, 1200 pages of revenue record were handed over to him. To this, the RTI applicant appeared first before the first Appellant Authority– that is VC, JDA.. “The appeal, however, was disposed off last week without assigning any reason”, said Advocate Vilakshana Singh, adding that this happened only because the JDA was aware that since the SIC is defunct, the second appeal will have no impact.
“Even then I am applying to the second Appellant Authority SIC with the hope that one day my application will be listed and the JDA will have to explain its position and give answers to all my queries,” he said.
“Not only in JDA, it’s everywhere; most of the departments are avoiding the RTI applications, as they have much to hide, said Advocate Vilakashana Singh, adding that mostly they give irrelevant answers.
“Following the vacant two positions of Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner in J&K, there is a long delay in the cases as only one Information Commissioner cannot handle a long list of cases. And, the government departments are taking benefit of this,” he said.
Advocate Vilakshana Singh, in his RTI application to JDA, has made 21 queries, inter allia, seeking information on the Khasra numbers of respective areas of land and the names of the owners whose land has been acquired by Jammu Development Authority in Village Majeen, Ragoora and other adjoining villages of Tehsil Jammu (erstwhile Tehsil Samba) for the construction of Satellite Township or any other purpose since 1993 till date.
He has also sought the copies of all the notifications issued for acquisition of land by Jammu Development Authority in village Majheen, Ragoora and other adjoining villages of Tehsil Jammu (erstwhile Tehsil Samba) for the construction of Satellite Township or any other purpose since 1993 till date.
Further, he has asked the JDA to state the purpose for which the land was acquired in village Majeen, Ragoora and other adjoining villages of Tehsil Jammu (erstwhile tehsil Samba) from 1993 onwards vide Notification No. JDA/DLM/Notification/ 116-22 dated January 25, 1993 read with corrigendum notification no JDA/DLM/Notification/203-11 dated March 25, 1993.”
Besides, the RTI applicant wanted to know the present status of the project for which the land was acquired in the above said villages; total number of households which existed over the above said acquired land at the time of its acquisition; number of households which existed over the above said acquired land as on date; the area of land, out of the above said acquired land, which has been transferred / allotted to the illegal occupants; name of the encroachers who encroached over the above said land acquired by JDA with Khasra No and the area of the land encroached by each such encroacher; status of each person (legal or illegal occupant) who has raised construction over the above said land acquired by JDA; names of the Khilafwarzi Officers of JDA who served or are serving in the above said area year since 1993 till the date; the tenure of each such Khilafwarzi Officer of JDA; the copies of the reports made by each such Khilafwarzi Officer regarding encroachment over the above said land acquired by JDA; the certified copy of the map of the above said land acquired by JDA; details of the action taken by JDA in pursuance of order dated March 19, 2012 passed by Supreme Court of India in SLP no SLP (CIVIL) CC No. 4385/2012 besides the certified copies of file noting of the corresponding file. He has attached the copy of above said order dated March 19, 2012 for ready reference.
The RTI applicant has also sought information on the rates at which compensation was awarded to the land owners whose land was so acquired;
the details of action taken by JDA for ascertaining the portion of land, out of the above said acquired land, which has been encroached by different encroachers; the Khasra numbers of the land so acquired in respect of which compensation has not been received by the land owners till date; names of such owners along with respective Khasra numbers; Khasra numbers and respective areas of land area out of land so acquired which is neither in possession of the JDA nor in possession of any other authority or instrumentality of the state; the list of names of persons in possession of said pieces of land; the Khasra numbers and respective areas of land area out of land so acquired which has been transferred by way of sale or otherwise to any person, body/agency/department and the information on sale considerations and names of transferee.
He has also sought information on whether the final award in respect of the land so acquired has been passed?
Advocate Singh has deposited application fee of Rs. 10 in the form of Postal Order No. 21F758182 dated November 10, 2015.
