Jammu and Kashmir: People protested against
alleged land grabbing by a former minister in the name of a trust and halted
the Jammu- R. S Pura National
Highway at Gadigarh for more than three hours.
Only after the intervention by revenue authorities and police officials made it
possible to pacify the situation, eye witness narrated.
Hundreds
of people of nearby area assembled at lower Gadigrah near police naka and
started shouting slogans against former Health Minister, Mrs. Suman Lata
Bhagat. Vijay Kumar Sharma who led the protestors said that in the name of his
father-in-law, Bhagat Chajju Ram who was also a minister during his political career,
the former minister’s kin allegedly grabbed a piece of land measuring 7 kanals
and 11 marls. He said that the piece of government land was meant to be
utilized for the construction of hospital or a college for the locals of area.
SHO
Satwari on reaching spot tried pacify the situation but protestors resisted
till ARO, revenue department Inderjit Bhagat intervened and assured that he will
appraise the issue to Deputy Chief Minister Mr Tara Chand and Revenue Minister Mr
Raman Bhalla for immediate address. Then only people dispersed off peacefully.
Panchs
Sunita Sharma, Panchs Santosh Sharma, Panchs Narinder Singh, Panchs Kewal
Krishen, Panchs Sunita Kumari, Panchs Sudershan Sharma, Panchs Kewal Sharma
Under the leadership of Sarpanch Vijay Kumar Sharma and others Panchs, men,
women and children participated in protest and shouted slogans against former
minister.
Sharma
warned if the matter is not solved with immediate effect and land occupied by
the grabber is not released, the people will be forced to resort indefinite
stir. He urged the authorities concerned to intervene to address the issue in
the interest of common public.
It
is important to mention that for the last few years the land grabbing and illegal
encroachments by land mafia alleged in nexus with politicians, officers and influential
have reached to new heights. Experts believe that one of main reason for
corruption menace is land mafia culture in the state.