The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over three cases linked to the ignorance of the Roshni Act provisions in Jammu and Kashmir while conferring ownership rights of state land to “undeserving persons” in 2015 by inflicting a loss Rs 25,000 crore to the state exchequer.The probe agency took over these cases in pursuance of J&K High Court’s order. The probe may cause trouble to two working IAS officers (name withheld) who were then deployed in Jammu and Kashmir.Sources in the CBI told IANS that these two officers played a key role in the scam and they currently hold the post of Chief Electoral Officer and Secretary in the government of India.
The CBI filed three separate FIRs on November 12 in Jammu which were earlier registered by the vigilance organisation of Jammu (now Anti-Corruption Bureau of Union Territory of J&K) in 2015 based on a complaint regarding “illegal conferment of state land to beneficiaries under the Jammu and Kashmir State Lands (vesting of ownership rights to the occupants) Act, 2001”.
The first case has been registered against unknown officials of the revenue department of Jammu based on allegations that they had conferred undue benefits upon the illegal occupants of the state land by intentionally ignoring the laid down provisions of Roshni Act, thereby conferring ownership rights of the state land wrongfully to selective undeserving persons and hence inflicted huge monetary loss to the state exchequer.It was further alleged that the purpose of the Jammu and Kashmir State Lands (vesting of ownership rights to the occupants) Act, 2001, which was the generation of revenues for undertaking developmental works in the state, was defeated.
The second case has been registered against unknown officials of the revenue department in Samba district. It was alleged that the officials had conferred undue pecuniary benefits upon the illegal occupants of the state land by intentionally contravening the legal provisions of the Roshni Act.It was further alleged that in many cases, ownership rights of state land were conferred in favour of individuals, who were not having the recorded possession in their respective names in the revenue records.It was also alleged that the rates were not fixed by the Price Fixation Committee, as per the provisions of the Act, and in many cases they were not remitted to the government treasury, thereby causing huge loss to the state exchequer.
