Referring to the details of encroacher politicians and bureaucrats revealed by the govt through the media, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and Former Minister today said that the names of BJP Ex-Ministers, MLAs and their top leaders who had usurped valuable lands were being concealed by the govt despite they having encroached huge Chunks of govt lands costing millions and millions. While all those politicians who figure in the list of encroachers need to be immediately evicted before laying hands upon the poor and deprived sections of people, the names of all those BJP leaders and their top politicians who are in illegal possession of such lands valuing crores should be immediately got published in the media in consonance with the orders of High Court and eviction proceedings initiated by dispossessing them in the first instance. He expressed his deep shock and anguish over the victimization and persecution of poor, landless, dalits, marginalized and other un-influential people who were being forcibly evicted from their marginal land holdings while granting immunity to the encroachers affiliated to BJP and other land mafia having access to the corridors of power. NPP shall fight tooth and nail against double standards of BJP govt and any attempt to harass the poor and deprived classes through a differential set of norms would be strongly resisted, said Singh. He was addressing a press conference in Jammu today.
Seeking early action and conclusion of eviction proceedings in a time bound manner against the big, mighty and powerful, Mr. Singh said that a white paper should also be issued as to how and why the palatial mansions and commercial hubs constructed on State and Forest lands by politicians and top bureaucrats had been granted immunity from legal and departmental action.
Inviting the attention of the Lt. Governor towards the highly biased approach of the administration and officers below, Mr. Singh said that while the poor and marginalized sections of society were being ruthlessly demolished and bulldozed, the rich and the influential were left untouched and undisturbed despite they being the major offenders. He said that none of the Ministers, MLAs, MPs, top bureaucrats and other affluent people had been evicted from their unauthorized land holdings and illegal structures despite several reports of illegal encroachments against them. He said that several reports in the media as well as social media had indicated prime lands costing several millions to be in possession of these influential people. He pointed out that one BJP MLA of District Udhampur had been openly claiming that none can touch his land holdings despite RTI reply pointing towards 32 kanals and 15 marlas state land under his illegal possession including 10 kanals usurped under Roshni scheme. “Are such people above law or does the administration have two sets of laws in the state, one for rich and the other for poor” questioned Mr. Singh.
Making a particular mention of some of the prime residential colonies and other concrete structures developed by the powerful politicians by encroachment of State lands and destruction of Forests, Mr, Singh appealed the Lt. Guv Administration to retrieve the State and Forest land from the Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs and other bureaucrats in areas like Bhatindi, Sunjwan, Chowadi, Nagrota, Bajalta, Roop Nagar, Bantalab etc in the vicinity of Jammu city. He said that several thousands of kanals of govt land had been encroached by politicians and their cronies in the said areas mostly belonging to other districts and Kashmir Division and who had raised huge residential and commercial complexes in collusion with the Govt functionaries with such officers having provided even financial assistance for raising such constructions. It was a case of ‘quid pro quo’ as the officers provided financial and other support to their political masters and got prized postings in return. Likewise huge encroachments had been made in cities and towns on NHs besides JDA and Municipal lands in violation of Revenue, Forest, Municipal laws and Ribbon Development Act.
Asserting that politicians and bureaucrats were not above law, Mr. Singh sought appropriate action against all Ministers, legislators and bureaucrats who had encroached govt lands in conformity with the principles of law and equity together with an enquiry against the officers who had allowed such constructions by tempering and damaging records. Describing the selective action of administration govt against poor and uninfleuential as ‘cowardice’, besides “political corruption” of the highest order, Mr. Singh sought to ensure vacation of illegal possession of encroachers and other influentials by making a beginning from the Ministers, MLAs. “The cleansing of staircase must always start from the top”, said Singh.
Mr. Gagan Pratap Singh, State Secretary–JKNPP, Mr. Surinder Chouhan District President Jammu (Rural) of JKNPP and Mr. Gurdeep Singh Raju Youth Secretary Jammu (Urban) were also present in the press conference.