Probing a Grab

Members of House Comittee who are probing charges against Taj Mohi-ud-Din

In the wake of high drama in the concluding session of Legislative Council over alleged ‘land grabbing’ by PHE minister, Taj Mohiuddin, a house committee has been constituted to enquire into the issue. The committee will investigate the allegations of forest land grab in Sedov, Shopian, on the road leading to Ahrabal picnic spot.  “There is a strong prima facie case that warrants a thorough and detailed investigation by a Committee of this House” reads the three-page order.
The five member committee will be headed by PDP lawmaker Murtaza Khan. Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah, who had made the allegations is also the member of the committee. He has already submitted a number of documents to the Chairman to substantiate his allegations.  The documents include the report of Tehsildar Shopian that suggests the land under survey number 4/1 (10 Kanals and 16 Marlas) and 1162/709 (3 Kanals) is under unauthorized occupation of Taj Mohiuddin since ‘prior’ to Kharief 1987. The report also reads that as per the enquiry conducted on spot, it has been observed that the occupant has fenced the said land alongwith his proprietary land under survey number 03 some 27 years ago.

However, the extract of Jamabandi (1966-67) and Khasra-e-Gridawari for these survey numbers has been prepared from kharif 1987 to kharif 2010.  However the letters of Halqa Patwari and Naib Tehsildar, dated Feb 28, 2011, annexed with the report give two contradictory statements. The Tehsildar states that the land in question has been under illegal occupation of Taj Mohiuddin ‘prior’ to 1987, while as the patwari maintains that the land was occupied by Taj since Kharief 1987. more