Hundreds of kanals of forest land grabbed in Bani after mutation of revenue records 1/18/2014 Early Times Report KATHUA, Jan 18: In open violation of standing orders of Revenue Department, hundreds of kanals of Forest land has been encroached upon in Bani area of Billawar tehsil after mutating the land records by Revenue officials. According to sources the Revenue officials after throwing the standing orders of the Government to winds have mutated the land records in Bani area of Kathua district and transferred the forest land in the name of some private parties. Sources said that despite the circular issued by Revenue Department on March 23, 2003, asking all the tehsildars of the State to ensure that no entries are made in the Revenue records of forest land and all such entries be cancelled forthwith. The circular in categorical terms has also warned disciplinary action against the Patwaris and girdawars found involved in such frauds. According to Circular the Government has come to know that Patwaris in connivance with the Forest officials have made illegal entries (Qabza Najaiz) in respect of Forest land and thus large chunks of Forest land are being encroached upon. In many cases such entries have been predated with the result the Forest Department is not able to get these entries cancelled. Despite this circular no action has been taken by the Revenue officials in canceling the entries on Forest land in Bani area where a Range Officer Badar Din was thrashed by the land grabbers on November 18 last year when he was on the job of demarcating the land in Khasra No 716/1 in Patwar Halqa Bani on the bank of river Sewa for a nursery of Forest Department, sources said. A FIR was registered in the Police Station Bani and Police visited the spot also but no action has been initiated till date, sources added. Sources said out of 83 Kanals of forest land in this particular Khasra the revenue records for four kanals and five Marlas of land have been mutated on the name of two local inhabitants of the area while in real sense the land belongs to Forest Department. Sources said the Range Officer, took up the issue with SDM Bani on July 23 last year for demarcation of land and seeking directives for canceling the entries on Forest land. But till date these entries have not been cancelled, sources added. Sources said even the Divisional Forest Officer, Billawar vide his letter on July 25 last year also requested the tehsildar Bani to cancel all the illegal Girdawaris made by Revenue Department over Forest land but to no avail. Sources said the Revenue officials made these entries in the records to give undue benefits to some influential individuals. Sources said 54 kanals of Forest land recorded in Revenue records under Khasra 404min/264 and 10 kanals and 10 marlas under Khasra No 391min/335 has been mutated on the name of some influential people by the Revenue Department. Besides 322 kanals and 18 Marlas of Forest land under Khasra No 1103min/371 has also been encroached in the same area as it has been mutated in revenue records. Sources said that some individuals have also approached the Chief Conservator of Forests and sought his intervention in removal of encroachments on Forest land on which some people have also made constructions. Even Badar Din has filed a complaint in Vigilance Organization Jammu seeking a probe into the mutation of land records in Bani area. However when contacted the SDM Bani said that the Department is on the job and such entries shall be cancelled.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 11:51:46 +0000
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