Mohd Irfan
As in these days the government has started the process in motion for retrieving the state land from the encroachers who have grabbed the state land and this Anti encroachment drive taking place across the length and breadth of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. For this demolition drive some political parties as well as Social activists also raked up the issue of grabbing the big chunks of the state land coupled with also unearthed the big scams in the government departments.
Editor The Hidden News Avinash Azad interviewed the Social activist Mohd Sadiq Poswal in respect of the present move of the government of conducting a demolition drive. Avinash Azad: How do you see this move of the government of carrying Anti encroachment drive?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: hailed the government initiative of carrying on Anti encroachment drive against land encroachers as the government prior faced hiccups and hindrances in conducting the drive but now the government has not faced stiff resistance.
Avinash Azad: As the government clarified time and again that this drive is only against the big land sharks tell whether you have filed any complaint against any of the encroachers from whom the government retrieved the land and their names surfaced in the public domain. Do you want to reveal their names?
Mohd Sadid Poswal: It would be not good adding, rather I informed the authorities three to four years back.
Avinash Azad: The information department issued a press note where in it shared that MLA Darhal has 150 Kanals of the land but the name of the MLA was kept secret. So, tell us how many cases like this are here in Jammu where outsiders have grabbed huge chunks of land?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: There are not many numbers but still there are about ten to twenty numbers who first bought land here in Jammu and after that grabbed state land. But now retrieval of the state land has started so let’s see rather one of the MLAs of the erstwhile state has returned the land to the extent of 3 kanals and even he have more land and expected it would be retrieved.
Avinash Azad: Before the inception of this Anti encroachment drive LG Manoj Sinha reiterated that this drive is against the big encroachers but it has been seen that people resorted to protests. Even DCs of the respective districts enjoined and implored the masses to not fear this drive against the big sharks but on the 5th of February during the demolition of MG Showroom people resorted to stone pelting at Malik Market which in the past history of Jammu never happened prior. So, how do you see all this and tell whether this incident was pre-planned as it happened anywhere else?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: Said that this incident at Malik Market took place for the reason due of no clarity of government order as the people are not well aware adding, resultant there in they develop a fear of Psychosis because the masses get eviction notices and they persuaded the other big sharks to resort to such violent protests.
Avinash Azad: So, you mean to say that this incident occurred due to the provocation by the masses who served with the demolition notices but it has been learned that those who resorted to stone pelting are from Kashmir and Chenab valley?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: Because these people have bought houses here in Jammu as such they came in winter adding, actually they were misguided otherwise it would not happen at all.
Avinash Azad: During my coverage, it has come to the fore that revenue officers comprising Patwari to Tehsildars who have sliced the fards of the state lands thought that their heads likely to roll as such they hatched a conspiracy as to how to sabotage this drive but that doesn’t happen and the government carried on demolition drive coupled with the government also takes into confidence the general public in this regard. Today the demolition drive takes place as the MG Hector Showroom was dismantled but there was no such obstruction to the drive. So, do you think that the revenue officers have done the provocation?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: Exactly these revenue officers have instigated the miscreants to resort to such violence rather these revenue officers too have big palatial houses in this area as such they fear that the government will retrieve their lands. As the working revenue officers who are monitoring the drives have their own houses in Bhatindi as such they are doing instigation.
Avinash Azad: It came to my knowledge through sources that in Bhatindi and Sunjuwan there are bureaucrats JKAS and JKPS officers who have raised palatial structures. Tell us how many such officers.
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: There are about 30 – 40 officers actually they have not grabbed the state land but what they did they invested their black money as they take possession of land from other ones who bought it prior as they considered to be the best way to spend money their black money adding, of this land, there is no record of the same meaning thereby no sale deed but on Rs 10 stamp paper they write and took possession of the land. So, these types of officers should be made.
Avinash Azad: As you told me that there are about 30- 40 officers who invested their black money but tell me have you filed a complaint against any one of them?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: Said that I have filed a complaint against five to ten officers. Avinash Azad: As the government has retrieved the land from the encroachers but what do you think the government should also take action against the bureaucrats who have built houses on state land?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: I too want land should be retrieved from the bureaucrats rather those who have any information in regards to bureaucrats who have grabbed state land should share the information with the administration. Because this government does what it says as it believes in action speaks louder than words.
Avinash Azad: Some of the leaders at the drop of the hat taking a dig against the LG that he came from outside and don’t know anything as they said LG failed to redress the grievances of the masses and if LG doesn’t know anything then how come he conducted the demolition drive? Never ever thought that even influential ones too knelt down before the system coupled with that of our Constitution also?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: Said that actually those parties are targeting the LG who are in opposition and they know they lost their ground adding, but the way LG carried out Anti encroachment drive is really an appreciable move of him to which these leaders of parties get befuddled and baffled to see all this and they fired a salvo against him. It is pertinent to mention here that this is the Hon’ble court order of carrying out the demolition drive and LG complying with the same.
Avinash Azad: It has been said that those having affiliation with the BJP are not being touched.
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: Yes, it is like that but government requires time to take action as about 2-3 lacs kanals of the land have been encroached upon by the encroachers. I don’t think that anybody will be left untouched who have grabbed state land.
Avinash Azad: As you keep your vigil in Jammu in regards to the grabbing of state land but have you ever known how much land is being grabbed in Kashmir?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: Yes, I made a complaint about five months back regarding chattarhama in Srinagar where about 350 kanals of land has been retrieved adding, like that even in budget district DPO school, housing Colony built on Kahcharie land of which I made a complaint. Even on Gupkar road in Srinagar where in no personal property rather allotment of the land has been done to the extent of two to three kanals of the land but under the garb of the allotment they have grabbed land 10 – 20 Kanals of the land. I came to know all this through RTI and land is of tourism and Forest departments. So, I want all this land should be retrieved as early as possible.
Avinash Azad: Tell the names who are the encroachers of the land in Srinagar?
Mohd Sadiq Poswal: Said that everyone knows at the Gupkar road whose houses from UNO till Karan Singh house adding, in between all this stretch I have made a complaint to the Divisional commissioner Kashmir seeking information of all those who are given an allotment of the land as how much allotment of land has been given and how much they have grabbed.
