33 hectares of temple land encroached

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, February 20

A land scam to the tune of crores of rupees, which took place between 1982 and 1992, has surfaced in Kangra district.

According to information, more than 20 persons have encroached upon 33 hectares (857 kanal) owned by the state government-run Ram Gopal temple land at Damtal here allegedly in connivance with the then revenue staff.

The encroachers first got their names added in the revenue records as non-occupancy tenants (NOTs) in 1982 and them became the owners of the land in 1992.

On a tip-off, the SDM, Nurpur, Abid Hussain, summoned all revenue records pertaining to that period and came to know about the scam.

While talking to The Tribune here today, the SDM said according to preliminary investigations, it had come to light that the scam took place in connivance with the then Revenue Department staff, which granted ownership right to the encroachers in 1992.

“After obtaining land ownership, the accused then took a compensation to the tune of crores of rupees in lieu of land acquisition for the construction of the Pathankot airport in 2001. After the enforcement of the Himachal Pradesh Land Tenancy Act (HPLTA)-1975, the entire land of the temple trust was incorporated in the minor category, which means that no one can be granted the status of NOT. However, the accused managed to get their names added in revenue records in 1982,” the SDM added.

Sources said some of the beneficiaries had constructed buildings on this land and had been collecting lakhs of rupees as building rent every month for the past several years.

The SDM said after thorough investigations, they would consult the state government for further action.