VC Warns Encroachers, Collaborators After ‘Hardcore Land Grabbers’ Secure Last-Minute Stay on Khasra No. 985 Retrieval; Legal Battle, Internal Scrutiny Intensifies
- Jammu Development Authority’s (JDA) operation to retrieve 8 Kanals of prime land under Khasra No. 985 in Paloura was stalled as alleged “hardcore land grabbers,” identified as Anil Gupta and Sham Singh, produced a new court stay order, mysteriously preponing a hearing scheduled for May 27th.
- Â JDA Vice Chairman Pankaj Sharma unequivocally stated that JDA will legally challenge the stay, retrieve all encroached lands including those with existing constructions, and warned that land grabbers should not “day dream” of usurping state land through such tactics.
- Â An internal probe is imminent to identify JDA officials who allegedly leaked information about the demolition drive to the encroachers and those under whose tenure encroachments flourished; Commissioner Secretary Mandeep Kaur has also assured that legal action will be taken, however long it may take.
Jammu, May 22: The Jammu Development Authority’s (JDA) determined push to reclaim its illegally occupied lands, particularly the contentious 8 Kanals under Khasra No. 985 in Paloura, faced a significant, albeit temporary, setback today. A full JDA team, accompanied by police, was poised to retrieve the 8 Kanal land – part of a larger 43 Kanal 8 Marla parcel transferred to JDA vide Government Order No. Rev (NDJ) 46 of 1973, dated January 28, 1973 – when the alleged encroachers dramatically produced a fresh stay order from the court. This development has not only stalled the physical retrieval but has also brought to the fore suspicions of internal sabotage within JDA and strengthened the resolve of its top brass to fight back legally and administratively.
JDA officials expressed surprise and concern that the court hearing, originally scheduled for May 27th, was mysteriously preponed without their knowledge, allowing the encroachers to secure the status quo order just as the demolition was about to commence. This particular 8-Kanal patch has a checkered history, with a previous fraudulent mutation on it having been cancelled by the then Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Avny Lavasa, which also led to the suspension of involved Revenue officials. JDA’s own records, including a letter (No. JDA/Teh-A/1291-98 dated October 20, 2022) to SHO Janipur, explicitly identify the individuals involved, Anil Gupta son of Late Ram Lal, and Sham Singh son of Late Kamal Singh, both residents of Paloura, as “hardcore land grabbers of JDA land in village Paloura,” against whom multiple FIRs had already been recommended or registered.
Despite today’s hurdle, JDA Vice Chairman Pankaj Sharma issued a stern warning to both the land grabbers and any collaborators within the department. “Land grabbers should not dream that they have won or that they can usurp JDA land through such legal or illegal tactics,” stated the VC. He confirmed that JDA’s legal section has been instructed to immediately file objections against the stay order and seek its vacation at the earliest. “We will retrieve this land, and all other encroached JDA lands, at any cost,” he asserted.
Significantly, the JDA leadership acknowledged the strong possibility of internal collusion. “It appears that information about our planned operation was leaked from within our department, enabling the encroachers to act pre-emptively,” a senior JDA official admitted. The VC stated that an internal inquiry is being initiated to identify these “mischief mongers and collaborators.” This probe will also scrutinize officials under whose tenure these encroachments took place or were allowed to flourish, particularly since, according to one JDA source, fencing on this land should have been completed back in 2020 but was neglected by previous officials.
The VC outlined a clear two-pronged strategy: first, to reclaim all vacant JDA lands and secure them with fencing and signboards. Second, to dismantle all illegal constructions, whether residential or commercial, on JDA land. “No illegal structure will be spared. People should not assume that constructing on encroached land will grant them impunity,” he declared.
Commissioner Secretary, Mandeep Kaur, also weighed in on the matter, assuring that the administration is committed to taking all necessary legal actions. “It might take time, but these individuals should be disabused of the notion that no action will be taken or that the land will not be retrieved. It will be,” she affirmed, framing the ongoing situation as a “battle between the JDA Department and land grabbers.”
The JDA’s repeated complaints to SHO Janipur against these specific encroachers on Khasra No. 985 have previously led to the registration of FIRs. The October 20, 2022 letter detailed how Anil Gupta, despite giving an undertaking on July 27, 2022, to demolish his illegal constructions on Khasra No. 985, had restarted illegal activities, also violating court-ordered status quo directions at that time.
The current situation underscores the challenges JDA faces from entrenched land mafias and potentially compromised insiders. However, the unequivocal stance of the VC and the Commissioner Secretary signals a heightened resolve to not only reclaim public land but also to cleanse the department of elements facilitating such illegal activities. The upcoming legal challenge to the stay order and the promised internal probe will be critical in determining the outcome of this high-stakes confrontation.
