Over 3,500 original land records of as many plots of land have gone “missing” from government custody in Sanand, which has turned into a real estate hotspot with the Tatas setting up their Nano project there. Revenue officials have admitted that no effort has been made yet to find and restore these records or to fix responsibility.

Sanand talati (officer in charge of land records) Hari Vaghela revealed this in his reply to an RTI application by Newsline. The reply says the Records of Rights of land from No. 1 to 3,036 and from No. 5,046 to 5,564 have simply gone “missing”. The records contain the change of rights over different plots in Sanand.

Vaghela said that till date, no effort has been made by any officer to restore these records, adding that they were sent to the mamlatdar’s office, but were never returned.

Sanand Mamlatdar Sudhir Patel, however, refuted this. “I have verified it. The talati has no evidence to prove that the records were sent to the mamlatdar’s office and were never returned. Records of Rights documents are part of the Talati office and they are responsible for the upkeep,” he said.

Even as the blame game between the Sanand talati and mamlatdar continues, the landowners have been hit hard. Pankaj Vaghela, a member of Ahmedabad district panchayat, who stays in Godhavi village in Sanand taluka, said this could mean serious trouble. “The Records of Rights documents are very important to prove one’s right over a piece of land. With these documents missing, many people who want to establish their right on their land won't be able to file even a civil suit. Many people are helpless by this mess up now,” he added.

... contd.