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| Govt 'forced' to pay compensation for illegal structures | | |
Majid Ahmad
SRINAGAR, Sept 2: Officers of R&B and Revenue departments have found a new way to loot the public exchequer. They first allow people to raise structures on the land which is already notified for road widening and then the Government has to pay compensation for these illegally raised structures. Apart from the land owners, the officers of both the departments are the major beneficiaries.
Here is a example: While authorities have already notified the area coming under the road widening from north Kashmir's Baramulla town to border tehsil of Uri, unauthorised and illegal structures are being raised on the road at several places.
Sources told Early Times that more than half a dozen structures have been raised on one side of the road at Chahal, Boniyar only this year. "The notification for road widening had been issued a few years back and according to law no new structure can be raised after the notification is issues. However, the concerned Executive Engineer, Abdul Qayoom Kirmani and Tehsildar Manzoor Ahmad Bhat have allowed the raising of structure in violation of laws," they claimed.
Sources said that the Xen and the Tehsildar want to give undue benefits to the persons who are illegally raising the structures. "The assessment for compensation of the road has been done by the R&B Department. The officials know that compensation to those whose structures are removed during the road widening process is huge and they have taken money from them and allowed them to construct the new structures," they alleged.
Presently the road is being widened for four laning for convenience of the commuters. The road is also significant as it connects Kashmir with Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir. The Srinagar-Muzafarabad bus service inaugurated by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in 2005 runs through the road.
A senior officer of R&B Department revealed that at several places in the Valley such structures are being raised. "The R&B and Revenue officials in connivance with the land owners are looting the state exchequer by raising temporary structures on the land which is already notified. They then claim compensation worth crores and Government has no alternative but to accept it as they threaten to approach the court," he said.
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