Land Scam Unveiled: Man allegedly sells Government land to PHE deptt for water tank construction
Abdul Basit
Bandipora, July 06: A shocking revelation has emerged from Sumlar village in Bandipora district, where a man stands accused of selling government-owned land to the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department for the construction of a water tank.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community and raised serious concerns about corruption and accountability.
The land scam came to light when local residents noticed unusual activities taking place on the government-owned property designated for public use. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the land had been sold to the PHE department under fraudulent circumstances.
Approximately 22×30 sqft of land was sold to the PHE department a few years ago for the construction of a water storage tank. However, the truth behind the sale recently came to light when a local patwari (revenue officer) discovered that the land claimed by the accused person actually belonged to the government and had been illegally encroached upon, measuring about 22×150 sqft.
During routine land surveys and cross-verification processes, the patwari stumbled upon this discrepancy. It became evident that the accused individual had unlawfully taken possession of the government land and subsequently sold it to the PHE department, misleading both the authorities and the public.
According to initial reports, the accused individual, whose identity is being kept confidential due to an ongoing investigation, allegedly forged documents and colluded with officials from the PHE department to execute the illegal sale. The deal, which involved a substantial sum of money, was reportedly conducted without proper authorization or oversight.
Public representatives and officials from the PHE department have expressed shock and dismay at the incident. They have assured the public that a high-level inquiry has been initiated to determine the extent of the fraud and hold the guilty parties accountable.
The department has also promised to take immediate steps to reclaim the government land and halt any ongoing construction work until further notice.
As the investigation unfolds, the people of Sumlar village and the Bandipora district await justice, expecting that all individuals found guilty of involvement in the land scam will face severe legal consequences.
“This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and accountability in safeguarding public assets and promoting good governance,” locals said.
In response to the allegations, the Executive Engineer of the Public Health Engineering department (PHE) stated that the department follows a procedure of verifying land documents before sanctioning any project. However, he mentioned that they do not have specific information regarding the documents presented by the individual in question at that particular time.
Nonetheless, he assured that they will thoroughly investigate the matter to gain clarity and determine the validity of the presented documents.
