No encroachment on Waqf Board land, says CM

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini assured Congress MLA BB Batra that there was no encroachment on Waqf Board land at Peer Bodhi (Rohtak-Gohana road) and that farmers were cultivating the land under lease agreements. He further said any additional information required would be provided.

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During question hour in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Batra questioned whether a 125-year-old pond existed at Peer Bodhi, whether it was allotted to the Waqf Board, and whether the land mafia had filled the pond and occupied it.

Revenue Minister Vipul Goyal refuted the allegations, saying, “No pond ever existed at the site according to revenue records. The Waqf Board owns the land and there is no land mafia. The land is leased out to farmers.”

However, Batra waved photographs in the House, challenging the minister’s reply and alleging that the land mafia operated under political patronage. “A committee of MLAs should be constituted to verify the existence of the pond and an SIT should be formed to investigate the issue,” he demanded.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also supported Batra, saying, “This is a serious issue. The pond’s filling has caused flooding in the area. I personally spoke to the Deputy Commissioner thrice after which the filling was stopped.”

Clarifying the government’s stand, CM Saini said, “The land was uneven and has been levelled by leaseholders for farming. Farmers cultivate this land under lease agreements every year. There is no encroachment.” He assured that if more information was required, it would be provided to Batra.

Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed raised concerns about the inadequate budget of the Mewat Development Board (MDB), stating that it was not fulfilling its purpose of addressing poverty, unemployment and socio-economic backwardness.

However, the government maintained that Mewat had progressed significantly in the past decade and had been included in the Centre’s list of aspirational districts to accelerate development.

In response to a query by Manju Choudhary, Environment, Forests & Wildlife Minister Rao Narbir Singh informed the House that 81 stone crushers registered under the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) were operational in Nangal Chaudhary (Mahendergarh district).

He admitted that some closed stone crushers may have reapplied under different company names, saying, “It is possible that some of the previously closed crushers changed their company names and applied again.”