Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the J&K High Court on Wednesday directed Jammu Development Authority (JDA) to file utilization plan of the land retrieved from encroachers. Hearing the PIL, titled Ankur Sharma v/s state of J&K and others, which challenges Jammu and Kashmir State Lands (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, and seeks CBI probe, the division bench of comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajesh Bindal after hearing advocate Sharma directed the JDA to file the land utilization plan.
The bench further said the directions issued through February 20 order have to be complied by secretary, Revenue Department; commissioner/secretary, Department of Information and Broadcasting and Deputy Commissioner, Jammu. The Court had directed authorities to effect a calculation of the value of the public land which has been vested to the encroachers. “We would also like to be informed of the division of the land in terms of its classification as urban, rural, forest land or of any other nature,” the Court said.
It said vide February 20 order the Court had directed secretary, Board of School Education, Jammu; secretary, Revenue department; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu and Principal, Chief Conservator of Forests to submit reports and also directed Secretary BOSE to explain how the ETT institution has been permitted on forest land. It had also asked secretary Revenue how the forest land was registered in the name of private persons.
