Prof SK BHALLA
The much hyped anti encroachment drive to retrieve prime land from powerful land mafia appears to have run into rough weather as per the available inputs. Preceding two days, have generated an impression that all is much ado about nothing. A few big wigs were named and shamed in the local media and the whole exercise apparently appears to have ended into thud. There are reports that initial enthusiasm by the LG’s administration has waned for reasons which are quite explicable.
Though the fear of anti-encroachment is haunting the commoners, yet the assurances of LG Mr. Manoj Sinha not to touch the ordinary folk so as to protect their livelihood and habitation have proved to be damp squib. To date, there are no caretakers in administration to implement in letter and spirit the writ of LG’s directions to put in public domain upto date data on retrieved land along with names of the encroachers. Really shocking.
In Narwal area of Jammu with the dismantling of MG Hector show room and the consequent strong protest whether spontaneous or superficial has given sleepless nights to the administration which shows that the high ups are strategizing anew which is still an enigma. But at the first instance, the fiasco that followed demolition of one showroom in Malik Market area of Narwal in Jammu shows that powerful land mafia with the connivance of black sheep in the system succeeded in their mission operation derailment. These are uncomfortable questions and must be responded to in all earnestness without fail.
There are reports that some influential officers from police and civil administration have constructed their palatial bungalows on encroached state /JDA land in the vicinity of MG Hector showroom and they covertly remote controlled the urchins of the area. The area in and around MG Hector showroom in Narwal belongs to JDA and it would be quite apt if the government also fixes those officers/officials of JDA who were instrumental in facilitating the land loot. Similar, yardstick be applied to officers of maha corrupt Revenue department for remaining mute spectator to the open encroachment of prime land worth several crores by the influential land mafia.
Entire anti-encroachment drive of LG administration will be meaningless if only the secondary and tertiary buyers of encroached land will be punished thereby sparing the mighty land grabbers and their facilitators in JDA/JMC and Revenue department. These black spots in the system need to be identified and their pensionary benefits must be blocked and their ill-gotten immovable properties attached for the larger public good.
People have a well placed hunch that the system is always on the side of powerful land grabbers who boast that half of the administration works as per their dictates but the poor down and out have to bear the brunt of ill conceived managerial skills of babus. The LG Mr Manoj Sinha must ensure that all the retrieved land data to date along with names must visit the public domain without any further delay to restore public confidence.
(The author of the article is a retired Principal of HED and a renowned anti corruption crusader. The views expressed are personal and he can be reached at 7051218339)