(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Nearly 500 Kanal Land Freed In Ganderbal, 6 Stone Crushers Face Axe In Anantnag
Srinagar- Intensifying its ongoing drive to retrieve government land from the illegal occupants, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday freed over 500 kanal of state and Kahcharai land from encroachers, besides sealing 25 shops at a prominent market here in this capital city.
The major anti-encroachment drive, an official spokesperson said, was taken by the district administration in Ganderbal, where 495 kanal of state and Kahcharai land was retrieved.
He said special anti-encroachment squads headed by Tehsildars conducted mass scale anti-encroachment drives while taking assistance from Police and other departments.
In Wednesday's anti-encroachment drive, the spokesperson said, 298 kanal of government land was retrieved at block Ganderbal, 53 kanal at Tullamula besides 65 kanal Kahcharai land in Tehsil Lar.
Similarly, he said, anti-encroachment squads in Sub-division Kangan retrieved 74 kanal of government land, including 24 kanal state land in block Kangan and 50 kanal in block Gund.
“The District Administration has so far retrieved 17627 kanal of government land which includes 11672 kanal of state land and 5955 kanal of Kahcharai land during Anti-encroachment drives,” he said.
Pertinently, on January 9 this year, LG Manoj Sinha – led administration ordered all the Deputy Commissioners to ensure 100% removal of encroachments from state land, including Roshni and Kahcharai by the end of the month.
The order issued by Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Commissioner Secretary to the Government had also asked Deputy Commissioners to file daily reports by 4 pm while Divisional Commissioners were asked to furnish the compiled reports through Financial Commissioner Revenue, J&K by 5 pm to the Administrative Department Revenue in a set format.
According to official spokesperson, in South Kashmir's Anantnag district, where district authorities on Tuesday removed illegal encroachments of three influential families, including two ex-Ministers and heirs of former chief minister Syed Mir Qasim, stones crushers build on state and Kahcharai lands faced wrath of the administration on Wednesday.
According to the official spokesperson, encroachment by 5 stone crusher units in Nipora area of Anantnag was retrieved by Tehsildar Anantnag.
Sharing details, he said, the 5 crusher units, out of which three were completely operating from state land, were put to notice a few days ago and on Wednesday demolition drives were held as they failed to pay heed to the Government notices.
“A total of 50 kanals of land was retrieved which lies at a short distance from NH44 and is valued in excess of Rs 20 crores. Teams from the District Mineral Office were also present and the operation of crushers has been seized,” he said, adding that the crushers have been given a week's time to remove the machinery from the spot failing which the machinery will also be seized.
Besides it, another stone crusher operating on state land in Panzath, Qazigund was also demolished. The spokesperson said that 14 kanals of land was retrieved by the revenue team from Tehsil Qazigund.
It is in place to mention that in widespread anti encroachment drives held in the district, more than 2700 kanals of State/ Kahcharie lands were retrieved in a single day.
A senior officer said that several commercial establishments had been identified who were operating from encroached lands and raking in profits at the cost of resources of common people.
He appealed to all such people to voluntarily stop operations and surrender the lands to the Government failing which similar legal action will follow.
Meanwhile, here in this capital city, a total of 20 shops were sealed in a market here on Wednesday, with officials claiming that they were built on land that had been occupied illegally.
The shopkeepers, however, said they were paying rent regularly to the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).
Around 20 shops were sealed at the Aftab Market in Lal Chowk the commercial hub of Srinagar, officials said.
More than two kanals (10,880 sq ft) of prime land where these shops have been built were illegally occupied, they said.
Eviction notices were sent to the shopkeepers, but they failed to vacate the establishments, following which the action was taken, officials said.
Meanwhile, the shopkeepers held a protest and claimed they have been regularly paying rent to the SMC.
“We have shops here since 1970. We have all the supporting documents. These shops were constructed by the municipality in 1970. We have receipts of rent paid to the municipality, Tawseef Ahmad, a shopkeeper, told reporters.
He, however, said the sealing has nothing to do with the anti-encroachment drive being carried out by the administration.
We have paid our rent till March, how can they seal our shops, he asked.
Two days back, we got eviction notices, saying this was a private property. If that is the case, then where was this private person from 1970 till now, the shopkeeper said.
Pertinently, on Tuesday, the district administration Srinagar had claimed to have freed 494 kanals of prime land worth whopping Rs 509 crores from land grabbers, besides sealing two hotels in the city. Besides, about 40 kanals of land allegedly occupied by the owners of Hotel Nedous at MA Road here were also retrieved.
Nedou's owners are in relation with the Abdullahs of the National Conference. (With PTI inputs)
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