KO Photo by Abid Bhat
Land Retrieved From Two Ex-Ministers, Heirs Of Mir Qasim In Anantnag
Srinagar- The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday accelerated the ongoing eviction drive in Kashmir Valley and retrieved government land from several ‘influential encroachers’, including two former ministers and heirs of a former chief minister, besides a hotelier related to former Chief Minister and National Conference President, Dr Farooq Abdullah.
In Srinagar, the revenue department retrieved 494 kanals of prime land worth Rs 509 crores from land grabbers, besides sealing two hotels, officials said. About 40 kanals of land allegedly occupied by the owners of Hotel Nedous at MA Road here.
Nedou’s owners are in relation with the Abdullahs of the National Conference.
The officials said the hotel is built on 153 kanals of land, out of which an area of 40 kanals is the state land and the rest is the leased land.
They said a boundary wall and a shed were demolished as part of the eviction drive.
Besides, the officials said that another 12 kanal land was also freed from encroachment in Karan Nagar area of this capital city.
In a handout issued here Tuesday evening, an official spokesperson said that special Anti-encroachment squads constituted by District Administration Srinagar were headed by Tehsildars who conducted mass scale anti encroachment drives while taking assistance of Police and other departments.
He said that a team of Revenue and Police Officers/Officials headed by Tehsildar Eidgah, Ishfaq Ahamd Khan launched a massive anti-encroachment drive in Palpora area and retrieved over 50 kanals of State land from the land grabbers.
Similarly, he said, in a major anti-encroachment drive launched at Balhama and Khonmoh under the supervision of Tehsildar Pantha Chowk, Rakib Ahmad as many as 25 kanals of Kacharie land was retrieved.
“In addition, 27 kanals and 12 marlas of State land was also evicted from the encroachment,” he said.
Likewise, in Tehsil North, the spokesperson said that 36 kanals of Kacharai land was retrieved in Rakh e Zakura and 26 kanals of State land in Ahal area respectively.
“Similarly, in Khimber 5 kanal 10 marla Kachraie land and 10 marlas of State land was also retrieved by a Revenue Team headed by Tehsildar North, Kaiser Mehmood,” he said.
In South Tehsil of the District, the spokesperson said, a team headed by Tehsildar, Moean Azhar conducted a massive anti-encroachment drive and retrieved over 40 kanals of State land in Maisuma 8 kanals in Nursing Garh areas from the encroachers. The team, he said, also evicted 4 kanal of prime land in Tashwan halqa of the Tehsil.
Similarly, in Khushipora area of Central Shalteng Tehsil, the spokesperson said, over 12 kanals of Kahcharie land and 6 kanals of State land has been evicted in Rakh eGund Aksha areas.
“In Chanapora Tehsil over 250 kanals of Kahcharie land was also evicted from land grabbers in Estate Nowgam area under the supervision of Tehsildar Chanpora, Saqib Saleem,” he added.
In Khanyar Tehsil, the spokesperson said 2 hotels namely Hotel In and Hotel Goodwill Commercial cum residential Hotel constructed illegally over 1 Kanals and 11 marlas of land in Brari Nambal were sealed and taken in possession under the supervision of Tehsildar Khanyar Aailya Tabasum.
The spokesperson said that the LG Administration has clearly said that common masses and poor people wouldn’t be touched during the ongoing encroachment drive launched to retrieve state land from encroachers.
“It has been also said in the statement that the government is concerned to safeguard the interests of poor people and only those who have illegally occupied the Government land by using their positions will be dealt with strictly. Accordingly District Administrations have been stressed to launch anti encroachment drives to retrieve land from encroachers so that all Government land is evicted from the illegal occupants,” he added.
In South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, illegal encroachments of three influential families were bulldozed at Dooru, including heirs of former chief minister Syed Mir Qasim, former minister Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed of Congress and Farooq Andrabi of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an official spokesperson said.
At Ara Khoshipora in Dooru, he said, 1 kanal of Kahcharai land under the occupation of Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed was retrieved and the outer wall of his premises constructed on Kahcharai land was demolished.
“It is in place to mention that notices for voluntarily removing the encroachments had been issued to the ex-minister but he had failed to give air to the Government direction,” the spokesperson said.
Similarly, he said, the family of Syed Farooq Andrabi, former legislator from Dooru had encroached upon 2 kanal and 7 marlas of Shamilat land by way of orchards at Shistergam.
“The same lands have been retrieved and notice boards indicating the status of land have been installed on the site,” he said.
According to the spokesperson, the heirs of Syed Mir Qasim, former chief minister also ‘faced wrath for trespassing state/Kahcharai lands’. He said 15 kanals of Shamilat land occupied by the heirs of ex-CM of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir have also been retrieved by a team led by Tehsildar Dooru.
“It is in place to mention that the encroachers had established an orchard at the site which was being used to earn income by utilizing public property,” he added.
The spokesperson quoted an unnamed senior revenue official as saying that on the directions of Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, encroachments by influential people were being identified and anybody found encroaching on state/ Shamilat lands will be “taken to task”.
He said that several such influential encroachers have been identified and the drive will continue.
Pertinently, authorities demolished the outer wall and main gate of the residence of National Conference leader, Ali Mohammad Sagar at Humhama near Srinagar Airport last week.
The outer wall, the main gate as well as the entry of the guardroom of the NC leader’s Humhama residence was demolished as part of the government’s ongoing demolition drive against the “land grabbers”.
On Monday, the authorities had demolished the boundary wall of a SSP-rank officer at Humhama.
Meanwhile, the revenue authorities led by Tehsildar Mohd Husain took over a guest house named Green Acker in the tourist resort of Pahalgam.
The guest house, an illegal structure, located on a prime piece of land at Laripora Pahalgam was raised by Bashir Ahmad Dar, Ex EO MC Pahalgam and Manzoor Ahmad, Ex Secretary MC Pahalgam.
Green Acker guest house is situated on Laripora main road on a piece of State land that is worth crores of rupees and the property was being used commercially for raking profits. It is in place to mention that the area has a large tourist footfall and is highly valued commercially.
Tehsildar Pahalgam said that the anti-encroachment drives in Pahalgam have been successful in retrieving 1000s of kanals of land which can now be used for public purposes.
He said the piece of land had been grabbed by the officials by abusing their position and has been taken over by the department and will be put to public use. He said that other such people are being identified and action will continue.
So far, several politicians in J&K have faced the heat of administration in the ongoing eviction drive.
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