Srinagar, Nov 2 (KSNN): In blatant violation of norms the grazing land and the custodian land is fast falling to the illegal constructions right under the very nose of authorities in the peripheral areas of Srinagar. Majority of these areas are literally lorded over by mafia goons who call the shots-from threatening people to attacking them in their homes- with the administration acting as mute spectators.
The violation seems to be prominent in the Bemina, Narkara, Dandoosa, Qamarwari and Shalteng. The land mafia is galore in these areas and with covert support of the Revenue department and other departments of the state government. The Kashmir Scenario is in possession of fake documents like Naqshayi intikhaab which are passed off as genuine documents to gullible buyers.
Brazen violation of the section 133 of the land Revenue Act seems to have taken place in Dandoosa, Narkara and Shalteng areas. The paddy fields and the vast grazing land is now almost not visible to the eye as constructions have popped up almost ubiquitously on the land.
“The current survey points towards rapid decrease in the agriculture land. This will have disastrous effect on the population in coming years,” sources in the Agricultural department told The Kashmir scenario over phone.
“They (land mafia) do not shoot arrows in the dark. There is a method to their wanton behavior. The agricultural land is shrewdly kept fallow for a period of two years. So there is a level of permissibility to their method. The process however kills our paddy fields and the valley would be soon be able to produce only five percent of the required food grains,” a source in the Revenue department told The Kashmir Scenario over phone while pleading anonymity.
The boom in the real estate prices and the ever-increasing list of prospective buyers has thrown up a galaxy of rages-to-riches story as people who earned just enough to make both ends meet till a few years are now multi-millionaires courtesy selling grazing land and the custodian land. Craftily compiled fake documents are passed off as genuine documents and the trend is continuing unabated.
“ You see in Qamarwari-Parimpora belt a man who used to make his both ends meet by selling fishes at Baagi yas in now a multi-millionaire and has visible assets of around 95 crores. He urged the people to keep agricultural land fallow for a period of a few years and then in amenability of the Patwaaris was able to get Naqshayi Intikhaab and other relevant documents. The sale of the land where many newer houses which have popped up in this belt have been brokered by him,” the source added while pleading anonymity.
“I have witnessed how agricultural land is converted for housing purposes. The land where you see palatial houses in Narkara and Dandoosa was actually agricultural land on papers. Land Mafia with the help of the officials of the Revenue Department helped in conversion of these paddy fields in to housing colonies. Near Bypass Bridge you would be surprised to know that construction work is going on even on the custodian land,” said Mushtaq Ahmad a resident from uptown Srinagar.
In a case of brazen hooliganism a former Corporator of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) was beaten mercilessly by goons of a land mafia don in the Bemina area when he tried to raise the issue of illegal land grabbing.
“The goons forced their way into my home and started beating me mercilessly. I tried to reason with them that they only had possessory rights of the land and were not permitted to build constructions on the land but they did not listen and started beating me. I have registered an FIR with the Parimpora Police station and the investigation is on. I am lucky to be alive,” says Mushtaq Ahmad Khuroo.
The Kashmir Scenario has learnt that in many areas like Dandoosa, Narkara, Rakh-i-Arth, Parimpora, Shalteng and Bemina no one dares to register a complaint against the land grabbers as the land mafia sends overt and covert threats to anyone who interferes in their business.
“Land mafia had threatened me many times in the past as well. I thought they would never harm me. But this week I got the shock of my life as the land mafia beat me up inside my home. I wonder why government is looking the other way in as far as dealing with the land mafia is concerned,” Khuroo told The Kashmir Scenario over phone.
The Kashmir Scenario has learnt that many of the commercial buildings belonging to the relatives of the senior politicians and bureaucrats also fall in the grazing land and Khalsayi sarkaar(Government land). Land Mafia are further emboldened by the candid statement of a senior minister who on the floor of the Assembly said that since the population was increasing exponentially there was no option before people other than to encroach upon the grazing land and the paddy fields.
“Look at the language the senior minister used in the assembly. I take it as a candid permission from the government to encroach upon as much of the paddy land and the grazing land as much as they can. The level of permissibility by the state executive towards land grabbing is baffling and unprecedented,” said a senior teacher at the University of Kashmir while pleading anonymity.
The Kashmir scenario has learnt that the divisional commissioner Kashmir while terming he land grabbing as a serious issue has taken a number of measures to curb the menace of land grabbing. The Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, for example, has constituted checking squads to see to it that no construction takes place in the paddy fields.
The Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Farooq Shah while talking to the Kashmir Scenario over phone said that there is complete ban on construction in the paddy fields and the violators are dealt with seriously.
“We have already constituted the checking squads. Whenever we receive any complaint we do take action. There is zero level tolerance to land grabbing,” Farooq Shah told The Kashmir Scenario over phone.
THE KASHMIR SCENARIO EXECUTIVE EDITOR BEATEN TO PULP BY AN OFFICIAL OF THE REVENUE DEPARTMENT
It was a case of brazen hooliganism when a Patwari of the revenue department Basheer Ahmad beat up The Kashmir Scenario Executive editor Jamsheed Rasool. Posted in the Parimpora area Basheer Ahmad beat up Rasool when he went to his office to seek information about land grabbing issue. The Patwari confiscated the cellphone of the Kashmir Scenario executive editor and while beating him ruthlessly instigated the assembled crowd to beat him up as well.
“I went to his office to seek information about the land grabbing issue. The patwari confiscated my cellphone and started to beat me. He also instigated the assembled crowd to beat him up as well. The patwari Basheer Ahmad refused to return my cellphone and continued to beat me,” a furious Jamsheed Rasool told The Kashmir Scenario.
Meanwhile Deputy Commissioner Srinagar assured The Kashmir Scenario team that the matter would be looked into and appropriate action would be taken.
“We would look into the matter. If any violence has been done, appropriate action would be initiated,” Farooq Shah assured The Kashmir Scenario.