To make a fast buck, sell off government office

To make a fast buck, sell off government office
PRADEEP DUTTA

SHOPIAN (SOUTH KASHMIR), JULY 13: Six years ago, near a stream in Kanipora stood a patwarkhana (revenue office of land records), always agog with people. Now, in its place stands a single-storey private residence, `Sheikh Manzil'.

The revenue office was allegedly sold for Rs 30,000 by then patwari, Abdul Wahab, to Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh, a senior assistant with the Industrial Training Institute.

The residents of area had complained to then State Minister for Revenue Ali Mohammad Naik. He asked for the files but no action was taken. The patwari in question was even promoted as girdhawar.

Even after lot of pressure by the Notified Area Committee (NAC) of Shopian, the Government did not initiate any inquiry. Instead, it shelled out another Rs 3 lakh to begin construction of a new revenue office. Three rooms have been already built and work is on.

Revenue officials have not maintained any record. When tehsildar Assadullah Wani asked his colleagues to bring the file on the communication between the then revenue minister and the department, he was told that the file was sent to the higher authorities and there was no copy with them.

When Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, Gulzar Ahmad Sheikh, was told about the deal, initially he did not believe it. After great persuasion, he agreed to check the records. Gulzar Sheikh found there did exist an office, constructed in 1986, on government land allotted under survey No 98 of Shamla land section 4.

``Now it is clear that the Revenue officials tampered with the records and sold this office. I am not going to allow anybody to grab government land,'' Gulzar Sheikh said.

The villagers said that the office was constructed in 1986 but was destroyed in a blast in 1994. For a few years, it was non-functional. It was during this period that the patwari allegedly tampered with the revenue records and sold off the structure.

When contacted, Abdul Qayoom, Minister of Revenue, assured that he would check about the issue. Two days later, Qayoom said he had called up the Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama and asked him to bring to book the revenue officials involved in the deal.

``I have come to know Wahab (patwari) is a notorious man. I have instructed Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir to attach him with his office, so that he does not tamper with evidence against him,'' the minister said.

Wahab, when contacted, refused to comment. He said he had already talked to the officials and ``that was all''.

Manzoor Sheikh's wife, however, said that they had purchased the land from Wahab for Rs 30,000. She also took out the revenue papers from her trunk showing the land belonged to them.