New land law will check JK’s Roshni-like scams, illegal land grabbing: Jitendra Singh

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said new land law will check Jammu and Kashmir's Roshni-like scams and illegal land grabbing He said law is also against “mafia members of politician-ministration nexus” who have been for over half a century constructing huge mansions, bungalows and commercial complexes on unauthorised land.

“It is precisely for this reason that all se habitual law breakers have ganged up to spre a disinformation campaign against land law which has been implemented as per provisions of Constitution of India,” Minister of State for Personnel said. He accused “Roshni scamsters” and land grabbers of opposing land law of Jammu and Kashmir.

On vember 1, Union Territory ministration h cancelled all land transfers that took place under JK State Land (Vesting of Ownership to Occupants) Act, 2001 - also kwn as Roshni Act - under which 2.5 lakh acres of land was to be transferred to existing occupants.

Jammu and Kashmir High Court has declared Roshni Act as "illegal, unconstitutional and unsustainable" and ordered a CBI probe into allotment of land under this law.

“ new land law will check Roshni-like scams and illegal land grabbing in future,” Singh told PTI. Centre has recently allowed people from across country to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir by amending several laws.

He said most of cases of illegal occupation of land and illegal constructions were carried out during National Conference-Congress and PDP-Congress governments, and its beneficiaries include high profile ministers and bureaucrats from Kashmir as well as some of n ministers from Jammu region.

“All injustice to Jammu was done when Congress and National Conference ministers from Jammu were part of governments and if y are w saying that Jammu did t get its due, y are actually raising question mark on ir own role as ministers at that time,” minister said.

dressing meetings during district development council election campaign in Chennai area of Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said it is interesting to see that some of se former ministers h always been demanding CBI inquiries for insignificant cases, but w objecting to investigation into land grabbing case.

Roshni Act was enacted in 2001 with twin objectives of generating resources for financing power projects and conferment of proprietary rights to occupants of state land.

It initially envisd conferment of proprietary rights of around 20.55 lakh kanals (1,02,750 hectares) to occupants of which only 15.85 per cent land was approved for vesting of ownership rights.

Amid reports about its widespre misuse, entire legislation was challenged before high court which in October stayed proceedings under Act and also directed that neir occupants having been conferred upon ownership rights shall sell se lands r can raise constructions on such lands.

Union minister also hit out at “false propaganda” regarding MGNREGA payments having been stopped. He said payments have only been stopped for those nts who were acting as middlemen and taking away all funds.

(Photo Credit: PTI)