STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Names of deceased PDP MLC, eight businessmen figure among the list of encroachers of government land in Jammu District.
Former MLC Shanti Devi had encroached 6 kanals of state land at Sidhra, the land is boundary walled and a mobile tower has been installed at the encroached land; Businessmen Ajit Katya, Rashpal Singh son of Teja Singh, Rampal, son of Nandiu Ram have encroached commercial land at Chowadhi while Chetan Singh, Chikten Singh, Naseeb Singh and Prem Singh have encroached four kanals land at Sunjwan and Sadiq Malik is in possession of eleven kanals at Sunjwan.
The family of Late Shanti Devi is still earning huge money from the encroached state land as a mobile telephone company is paying them hefty rent for installation of mobile tower and other equipment. During the PDP government, Shanti Devi, who was close to Late Mufti Mohd Sayeed encroached six kanals prime land at Sidhra.

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Before joining PDP, Shanti Devi was a member of Shiv Sena. Although she was not politically active but because of her close proximity with Mufti Mohd Syeed, she and her family managed to establish various types of businesses in Jammu besides encroaching the state land. Sidelining many senior leaders of the party, she was nominated as MLC only because of her direct affiliation with the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Syed.
Sources disclosed that the J&K administration is shortly exposing the illegal benefits that Shanti Devi managed for her family during PDP government.
Earlier, names of former MLC Mirza Rashid, management of Sahib Bandgi Ashram, businessman Ghulam Rasool and two property dealers figure among the list of encroachers of government land in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mirza Rashid, former NC MLC is in possession of 2 kanals of state/forest land at Sunjwan; Sahib Bandgi Ashram has illegally occupied 86 kanals of government land at Deeli area in Jammu; Businessman Ghulam Rasool has occupied one kanal of land at Channi Rama and property dealers Bittu Sharma and Baldev Raj Sharma are in illegal possession of commercial 3 kanals of state/forest land at Sunjwan.
Here it is relevant to mention that the Jammu and Kashmir administration has disclosed the details of government land in Jammu and Kashmir that has been allegedly encroached.
The J&K administration has issued list of occupants following a J&K High Court order. The list also mentioned the Jammu residence of former J&K Chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, as having encroached on forest land owned by the government, NC and PDP offices in Jammu and Srinagar are on illegal land.
The J&K High Court in an order on October 9 had directed that details of “State land in unauthorised occupation” shall be disclosed on the government’s website, along with the names of the beneficiaries under the Roshni Act that was scrapped by the High Court. The beneficiaries under the Act included former Chief Ministers, the then state ministers, retired police, civil servants and politicians.