JDA officials attacked by Gujjars

Half a dozen officials of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) including a Superintending Engineer and a Junior Engineer were injured when a group of Gujjars attacked them with stones and lathis after they retrieved 274 kanals land from the encroachers at village Kirpalpur in Phallayan Mandal area under the jurisdiction of Satwari police station this afternoon.

Police have registered an attempt to murder case at Satwari police station against 15 Gujjars, six of whom have been identified. Police conducted searches for them but all of them were absconding.

Official sources said a JDA team headed by its Vice Chairperson Ms Sarita Chouhan and Director Land Management Babu Ram had gone to Kirpalpur in Phallayan Mandal area following reports about encroachment on JDA land by the Gujjars. 

Few days back also, the JDA team had visited the village.

Sources said a total of 274 kanals land has been retrieved in the villages from the possession of encroachers. Some structures, constructed by the encroachers, were also demolished.

"Today, when the JDA team was inspecting the retrieved land and its Engineers were busy identifying the spot for fencing to protect JDA land, the Gujjars started pelting stones on them and attack them with lathis’’, sources said, adding that half a dozen JDA officials including Superintending Engineer Tilak Raj were injured.

Police parties led by SP City (South) Rajeshwar Singh, SDPO Gandhi Nagar ML Kaith and SHO Satwari Abid Rafiqi rushed to the spot. Injured officials were admitted to the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu.

Police parties with the help of field staff of JDA officials have identified five to seven Gujjars, who were involved in attack on the team. A total of 15 Gujjars had attacked the JDA team, police said, adding that a case under Section 307 RPC (attempt to murder) has been registered against all the accused at Satwari police station for further investigations.

Police parties conducted raids at Kirpalpur and several other places adjacent to it in Phallayan Mandal in search of the accused. However, all of them were absconding and have not been arrested so far.

Few days back, Vice Chairperson JDA Ms Sarita Chouhan and Deputy Commissioner, Jammu Sanjeev Verma had visited Ragoora and other places and vacated a large chunk of Government land from the possession of encroachers.

Sources said police personnel have been deployed at village Kirpalpur in Phallayan Mandal area to ensure that retrieved land was not captured again by the Gujjars.

Mitigate sufferings of Gujjars

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Mahamaya Forest Land Scandal

DFO, Tehsildar, cops among land grabbers
Over 270 kanals Forest, JDA land grabbed near Golf Course, Mahamaya forest

Over 270 kanals of land worth crores, belonging to Forest department, Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and State Revenue department has allegedly been grabbed by some persons including a few influential persons with the political patronage in Sidhra and Dwada area, near Golf Course and adjacent to the Mahmaya temple in Bahu Range across river Tawi under Jammu Forest Division.

In just last couple of years, despite tall claims of the Forest department having cleared several land encroachments in this particular area, a massive land encroachment has taken place in planned manner under the very nose of J&K Forest department and the officials of the Jammu Development Authority. One can notice the innumerable newly raised concrete structures on that side of the river Tawi in the foot hills of the Mahamaya forests up to the Golf Course in Sidhra while moving from DC office side on Circluar Road towards Nagrota Bypass bridge on river Tawi.

The fresh startling disclosures came to light when a few local villagers led by one Alam Din, son of Noor Din of Dwada in a fresh complaint filed before the Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla, Forest Minister Mian Altaf and Divisional Commissioner Jammu Dr Pawan Kotwal, narrated that some people from Doda, Kishtwar, Srinagar, Uri, Anantnag and a few other places, have grabbed huge State and Forest land in Dwada, Sidhra and near Mahamaya Forest of Bahu Forest Range. They pointed out that even some of the land grabbers are working in Revenue, Police and Forest departments. Under the very nose of field staff including Foresters, Range officer, DFO and some higher officials from Forest, Wild Life and JDA as well, this encroachment was going on for the last more than four to five years. Even the JDA/ Forest teams visited the area many times but they have not got the land cleared.

It was pointed out that once the Forest and District administration teams along with police had tried to get the land vacated about two and half years back but with the half-hearted approach of the departments, the task was left half way, following some political pressure. The land grabbers had also shown strong resistance during operation. But the influential land mafia managed to get the concerned field staff transferred from this jurisdiction and got the other appointed there to shield them and watch their interests. "The only green strip, considered to be the life line and lungs of the city population, is being butchered mercilessly while those appointed for the protection there are maintaining criminal silence, apparently behaving like part of the mafia", the villagers said alleging that several times VIP vehicles, official Gypsis are seen in the area when the construction work goes on clandestinely.

While providing the list to the Divisional and the District Administration along with the Number Khasra etc., Dwada villagers pointed out that nearly 280 kanals of the land around Golf Course, Dwada and Sidhara area besides downhill the Mahamaya Temple has been illegally grabbed and majority of the people belonging to Kishtwar,Uri, Ramban, Doda and Kashmir area. The list provided to the Administration indicated that nearly 64 kanal area has allegedly been grabbed by one Zora Begum, 20 kanals by Master Mohd Yousuf, 12 kanals by Haji Faiz of Srinagar, nearly 50 kanal by Hakim Din of Kishtwar and 50 kanal by Mohd Yousuf of Kishtwar and 25 kanal area by Liaqat Ali Fauji from same area.

It was further revealed that area measuring 10 kanals each has been in the illegal possession of Hashim Din of Kishtwar, Mohd Hanief of Kishtwar, Bashir Ahmed of Kishtwar, Farooq Ahmed Police Constable, Abdul Latief Police Constable and Abdul Samad of Kishtwar, nearly 12 kanals of land has been grabbed by one Forest Officer of the DFO rank, five kanal by one Tehsildar, 12 kanals by Master Abdul Karim of Doda, 8 kanals by Master Noor Mohd of Doda, five kanasl by Tasveer Shah of Uri, 2 kanals each by SRTC driver Muzaffar Hussain, Master Ishfaq, Master Naseer and Shakeel Ahmed, five kanal each by Master Mohd Hussain of Doda, Qasim Din of Ramban, Zulaf Khar Constable, four kanal each by Saar Din of Doda, Abdul Rashid of Kishtwar and 3 kanal each by Rashid Ahmed of Srinagar, Abdul Hamid of Srinagar and Sattar Hussain. It has been mentioned that some of the people have further sold a portion of this land and many others have encroached even less than one kanal of the land in the area. Some senior police officials have kept the land under the name of their PSOs.

Minister for Forests and Environment Mian Altaf when contacted said that this problem had come to his notice about a year back and concerned officials were directed to get the land vacated. He however, claimed that a major portion of that land also belonged to JDA. He admitted that matter was well in his notice and some area was also got vacated. But he maintained that his Chief Conservator of Forests, Jammu, S C Sharma will be better knowing about the issue and asked to get in touch with him as he was about to catch his flight for Delhi.

Minister for Revenue and Relief Raman Bhalla, said most of the land under the illegal possession of the people in Sidhra Golf Course area, belonged to JDA and Forest. He claimed that area of State land (Nazool) in the possession of land mafia was not much. He however, said that Task Force has been constituted under the Divisional Commissioner Jammu to identify the land and hand over to the concerned departments. He said CCF Jammu, DC Jammu, VC JDA, SSP, AC Revenue and DFO concerned are the members. He said Revenue department had not much at stake there as most of the State land there now stand transferred to JDA. Mr Bhalla further said that there are nearly 50 to 60 Khasra numbers under which the area of both Forest and JDA/ State land falls and keeping in view this technical status a Sub committee under Tehsildar Jammu is also framed to identify the land and hand it over to the concerned agencies. He said that he will get examined the performance of work from the DC Jammu. He maintained that cooperation of all the concerned departments is needed to get the land vacated.

VC JDA Sarita Chauhan when contacted by this correspondent claimed that she had no knowledge about any such complaint or land encroachment in that particular area. She said, "let the report come to me and then I will look into the matter". She claimed that as per her knowledge no JDA land was encroached upon there and maintained that she was not prepared to divulge any thing in this regard to anybody. DyCM, Tara Chand, however, was not available for the comments, when contacted.

DC Jammu Sanjeev Verma said that matter pertaining to encroachment in that area was already in his knowledge. He said a committee stood constituted for ‘Nishan Dehi’ of the land in question there. Mr Verma said he has yet to look into the fresh complaint in this regard. He further pointed out that majority of the land under illegal occupation of people belonged to JDA and Forest.

The area of State land was negligible. However, the process of identification was in progress. He said officials from Forest and Wild Life have also been involved in this exercise.

JDA to construct 1000 flats

Dismantling of structures raised for migrants almost complete JDA to construct 1000 flats at Muthi, Nagrota

Shifting its focus on the vertical expansion, Jammu Development Authority (JDA) has chalked out a plan to construct 1000 flats for high and low income group people at Muthi and Nagrota, where over 300 kanals of land has become available due to the shifting of Kashmir Pandit migrant families to Jagti township.

Official sources said that demolition of structures, which were raised at Muthi and Nagrota to provide shelter to the Kashmiri Pandit migrants following onset of militancy in the Kashmir valley and rendered un-useful due to shifting of KPs to Jagti, is progressing well and will be completed by month end.

With the razing of the structures, a total of 312 kanals of land-233 kanals at Nagrota and 42 and 37 kanals respectively at two different locations in Muthi area, would become available for the JDA, they said.

Since as per the records, land at both the places could only be utilized for real estate residential purposes, the senior officers of JDA and town planners thoroughly deliberated upon plots as well as flats options and finally it was decided to shift focus on the vertical expansion in order to meet the housing requirement of large number of people.

Accordingly, a plan was chalked out for construction of multi-storied flats at both the places for high income as well as low income groups, sources informed while disclosing that the plan would be placed before the Board of Directors meeting of the JDA slated to be held shortly for formal approval.

When contacted, Vice-Chairman of JDA, Vinod Sharma confirmed that a plan has been mooted for construction of around 1000 flats at Muthi and Nagrota, adding "keeping in view the limited land available with JDA in the Jammu city and adjoining areas, vertical expansion is the only option to meet the housing needs of the people".

At present, the Board of Directors meeting of JDA in which the plan would be formally given nod, is scheduled to be held on July 11 but it has to be postponed by few days keeping in view the latest intimation about the District Development Board meeting of Jammu being taken by Chief Minister on July 12, he said.

To a question, he said that flats would be constructed by adopting self-financing option as is being followed by the private builders, who are coming up with multi-storied flats in different parts of Jammu.

"We don't have sufficient funds to construct such a large number of flats as such we will invite applications from those interested in getting flats at these places, take money from them in installments and utilize the same in the construction", the Vice-Chairman said while disclosing that it would be after six-seven years that JDA would be constructing flats.