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| NC headquarter, Congress Khidmat center in Srinagar get land for peanuts | | Roshni delivers for coalition! | | Rs 13.10 crore land transferred for Rs 1.97 crore
Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Mar 4: Roshni scheme has benefitted National Conference (NC) and Congress equally when it comes to vesting of ownership rights over occupied land.
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has his report said that land has been transferred to Khidmat Trust which is brainchild of senior Congress leader Ghulam Rasool Kar and Naw-i-Subah Trust, which is the headquarter of National Conference (NC) under institutional use but the same is under commercial use.
According to CAG, Revenue department transferred 7 Kanals 15 Marlas of land to Khidmat trust at Kothibagh and 3 Kanals 16 Marlas at Zero Bridge to Naw-i-Subah complex which is NC headquarter in Srinagar at concessional rate applicable to lands under institutional use. CAG has said that market rate fixed by the committee for the land was Rs. 110 lakh per kanal in case of Khidmat Trust and was Rs. 120 lakh per Kanal in case of Naw-i-Subah Trust.
If the market rate is taken into consideration, Khidmat Trust was supposed to pay Rs. 8.52 crore while Naw-i-Subah trust had to pay Rs. 4.58 crore. But for the reasons best known to the Government and the committee constituted for fixing the price, these were rebated by 85 percent and transferred at Rs. 16.5 lakh per Kanal to Khidmat Trust and Rs. 18 lakh per Kanal Naw-i-Subah Trust.
Thus, lands valued by the committees at Rs. 13.10 crore were approved for transfer at a price of Rs. 1.97 crore against which only Rs. 1.47 crore had been collected. After the rebate, NC was now asked to a meagre amount of Rs. 64.4 lakh while Rs. 1.32 crore was to be recovered from Khidmat Trust for transfer of land. But the two preferred otherwise and still Rs. 50 lakh is to be deposited by these two trusts.
Despite act being clear that if the payment is not made within two years, steps have to be taken to get the land back. However, Revenue department is waiting for the two to make payments, according to their own whims and fancies. CAG has further stressed that the two properties are also being used for commercial purposes and Rule 13 of Roshni Rules 2007 provide for application of commercial rates even if part of land is used for commercial purposes.
The two trusts have managed to get land transferred on their name by paying peanuts, CAG has pointed out. It has further said that under Section 12 of the amended Roshni Act, 2007, land under 'institutional use' could be allowed to be transferred even in excess of 10 Kanals (up to 100 Kanals) to unauthorized occupants. However, rules framed by the Government headed by ex-Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad expanded the scope of concessions available to occupants of lands under 'institutional use'.
Rules provided that the lands "in Institutional use, viz., educational, religious, charitable, non-profitable, social institutions, trusts, societies, political parties recognized by Election Commission of India" could be transferred to occupants at 15 percent (for authorized occupants), 25 percent (for authorized overstayed or Un-authorized expectant occupants) and 50 per cent (for un-authorized occupants) of the price fixed by the committees.
Further, the Act authorizes transfer of occupied lands only to 'permanent residents' and under the law, these can be either natural persons fulfilling certain conditions or companies registered under the J&K Companies Act as per governing law. In contravention of the said provision of the Act, lands were transferred to seven 'institutional' entities 14 in Srinagar with no safeguards to ensure diversion of land for non-institutional use after transfer of freehold rights.
These included Mandir Shiv Ji Solina, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce, Khidmat Trust, Naw-i-Subah Trust, Mosque Ahmadiya, Hemis Gompa and Idara Auqaf Gaousia. |
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