3 HCS officers indicted for railways land acquisition fraud

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 5

A Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officer faces suspension, while explanation has been sought from two other HCS officers after an inquiry indicted them for abusing land acquisition process which favoured land owners.

The land was acquired for special railway project Western Dedicated Freight Corridor in Palwal.

After the CM’s approval, Financial Commissioner Revenue and ACS Revenue and Disaster Management, Sanjeev Kaushal, wrote to the Chief Secretary on June 4 for suspending HCS officer Kanwar Singh and calling for explanation from HCS officers-Jitender Kumar and Dr Naresh. A charge-sheet will also be issued to Kanwar Singh for major penalty.

While being SDO (Civil) Palwal, Kumar issued the notification under Section 20-A of the Railways Act, 1989 (for the intention of central government for acquisition of land), in December 2018 but sent the copy to tehsildar, Palwal, after a lapse of six months. It provided an opportunity to the people involved in the registration of small areas of land during this period.

He also didn’t take up the matter with the District Collector-cum-Registrar for asking registering officers not to register sale transactions.

On part of Dr Naresh, who succeeded Kumar, it was found that before issuing a notification for the declaration of the acquisition, the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) scheme should have been prepared.

For the award of the compensation, Kanwar Singh, who succeeded Dr Naresh, fixed rates much higher than collector rates.

Against a collector rate per acre of Rs 95 lakh, he fixed Rs 1 crore in the Prithla revenue estate. In Jatola, against Rs 45 lakh per acre collector rate he awarded Rs 45.25 lakh, and in Ashawati against Rs 90 lakh per acre he gave Rs 90.50 lakh.

The inquiry finds that despite Rs 41 lakh per acre being the collector rate in Ladpur, he gave Rs 45.25 lakh, in Maidapur against Rs 40 lakh per acre he awarded Rs 50 lakh, and in the Tatarpur revenue estate against Rs 70 lakh per acre, he gave Rs 75 lakh.

For R&R benefits, Kanwar Deep excessively calculated Rs 26.41 crore.

Ten sale deeds were registered after the issuance of notification under Section 20-A for which sub-registrars/joint registrars- Pardeep Deswal, Ashok Kumar, Rohtash and Prem Praksh are under scanner. Besides, two registration clerks were indicted.

Seven Patwaris, of the office of SDM Palwal/Faridabad, have been found purchasing a portion of land to be acquired in the name of their close relatives or other in one form or the other.

The Financial Commisisoner wrote to Divisional Commissioner Faridabad on June 4 for the registration of FIRs against patwaris, besides taking disciplinary action against Reader, Registration Clerks, and Data Entry Operators for the registration of sale deeds.

The officials of the Railways are under scanner too as the Railways Department did not mention any need for the acquisition of land for Right of Way to farmers, but despite that notification under Section 20-A recorded khasra numbers, measuring 5 kanal and 7 marlas, which had 148 beneficiaries in R&R award.

Land was acquired in Palwal

The land was acquired for special railway project Western Dedicated Freight Corridor in Palwal. After the CM’s nod, Financial Commissioner Revenue and ACS Revenue and Disaster Management, Sanjeev Kaushal, wrote to the Chief Secretary on June 4 for suspending HCS officer Kanwar Singh and calling for explanation from HCS officers Jitender Kumar and Dr Naresh.