After startling disclosure regarding the missing of the whole revenue record of the Sujwana and Chowdhi localities in the outskirt of Jammu city, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has directed all Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to lodge FIRs in such cases in their respective districts.
The DCs are directed to locate any missing revenue record in their respective districts and digitalize the same to foil evil designs of the land mafia.
Commissioner/ Secretary Revenue Department, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri has issued an order and directed the Deputy Commissioners of J&K to provide details of the missing Revenue Records on a prescribed Performa with details of the officers/officials responsible thereof (both in-service as well as retired) duly attested by the Deputy Commissioner so as to proceed for exemplary action against the delinquent including recovery of missing documents, lodging of FIR and fixing of responsibilities.
DCs asked to take the matter seriously
The order stated that the missing of certain important Revenue papers/extracts such as Record of Rights (Misl- Haqiat), Jamabandis, Girdawaris, Lathas, Massavis, etc from the records of Revenue Record Room and Patwaris has been taken seriously. Unless a record has been reported to have been missing while taking over the charge report, it shall be deemed to be the responsibility of the incumbent to hand over these records.
However, the missing revenue record from the records of Patwaris or other revenue Officer/officials is a criminal offence that merits exemplary action.
The order further stated that the Revenue department already has issued circular instructions vide No. 05 of Rev. of 2021 dated 02.11.2021 wherein Deputy Commissioners have been enjoined to submit duly attested statements of missing records not updated on Land Records Information System (landrecords.jk.gov.in) by or before 20.11.2021 which also merits similar action. The Deputy Commissioners have been told to submit the reports by November 20.
Revenue records of Sunjwan, Chowdhi localities missing
All vital public revenue documents (Latha and Massavi) of two localities namely Chowdhi and Sunjwan in tehsil Bahu of Jammu district have been missing from concerned Patwars as well as general record room, Gole Gujral, Jammu.
Interestingly the J&K Government has announced to start a campaign to retrieve state land encroached by land mafia and other influential persons in these localities which have been developing as palatial colonies.
It is widely believed that many influential persons have encroached state and forest land in these two localities so missing of whole revenue record has raised many eyebrows.
In addition to Latha and Massavi (Revenue maps), the book of record of rights (Missal-i-Haqiyat) is also missing from the record room and the specific pages of the field book were also found missing.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu already ordered lodging of FIR
Taking serious note of the missing vital revenue record, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr. Raghav Langer has directed Sub Divisional Magistrate, Jammu South for registering FIR against the accused in the concerned police station of the jurisdiction.
Sources in Revenue Department said that the missing of these vital public documents came to the fore after the Divisional Commissioner Jammu in June 2021 constituted teams for random verification, ETS survey of encroachment of State/ Kahcharai/ Forest lands in these revenue villages with instructions for the reconciliation of revenue records.
Sources said that the committee in its findings brought to the notice of the Divisional Commissioner that Latha and Massavi (revenue maps) of village Chowadhi and Sunjwan, in tehsil Bahu, have been missing.
