Mohd Amin Mir
Srinagar, Jan 21 : The Evacuee Property Department is diligently working to safeguard the evacuee property in the Kashmir Division, following the directives of higher authorities.
An official told Kashmir Despatch that to ensure the identification and retrieval of evacuee property, a joint meeting was organized at the SDM office in Uri which was attended by Sub Divisional Magistrate Uri, Jatin Kishore, and Custodian Evacuee Property Department Kashmir, Tariq Hussain Naik. The meeting involved revenue and custodian officers and officials he said.
During the meeting, the officers emphasized the importance of taking necessary measures within their respective jurisdictions to identify and recover EP land that has been illegally occupied. They also stressed the need for field functionaries to collaborate and work together to eliminate all such illegal encroachments. As part of this continuous effort, the department has already compared EP figures with revenue records and discovered instances of EP land being under illegal occupation.
The officers were urged to develop a strategic plan to remove all encroachments and mark illegal constructions on EP lands, enabling appropriate action to be taken as per the relevant provisions of the EP Act.
During the meeting it was also discussed that lands that could be used productively by other departments were to be prepared for use, with site plans and signage indicating that no further illegal occupancy would be allowed in the future.
The Deputy Custodian Baramulla, Tehsildar, and Assistant Custodians Uri & Boniyar were instructed to initiate the process of issuing notices to illegal occupants, demanding the surrender of EP lands to the representative of the department within a specified time frame.
Members of the general public were urged to refrain from unlawfully exploiting any evacuee property and from using the land for purposes other than those previously authorized by the department the official added.
In the district of Anantnag, the efforts of Deputy Commissioner Anantnag have yielded positive results. The Custodian cell in Anantnag, responsible for four districts and operating from a small room, is working diligently. The officers and officials of the cell witness dozens of people paying rent at the department’s office each day, reflecting the progress made.
Deputy Commissioner Anantnag has already directed the relevant authorities to accelerate the identification of lands that have been illegally encroached upon. These directions have shown positive outcomes, as witnessed by the author, who resides adjacent to the office. Hundreds of kanals of land have been identified as illegally encroached upon.
