Long delay in settling cases of land decried

Decrying red tape in revenue-related works of the government departments, District Congress Committee’s general secretary Shiv Dutt Thakur urged the officers not to accord flimsy reasons for the delay.

Inordinate delay in settling cases of land (leased out or allotted) on Chakota-basis by the panchayats had led to their piling up of a whopping 984 across the district. While 429 were pending at the tehsil level, the remaining 555 continued to languish at the sub-divisional level.

Additionally, 326 cases had been rejected for various reasons as the district revenue officer, who was responding to a query raised by Shiv Dutt Thakur, a member of the district grievances committee at its meeting held at Solan today.

Despite directions of the Deputy Commissioner to deal with cases on priority, a large number of them continued to languish in various offices — right from the patwar circles to the offices of the SDMs. Thakur, who has been persistently pursuing this issue in the district grievance committee meeting, lamented the delay while attributing it to non-completion of formalities. He informed that they were pursuing the matter with the field staff for their early disposal.

Thakur had raised a pertinent issue where record pertaining to newly created Kasauli sub-division was being transferred from Solan’s record room but absence of a translator of Punjabi language was creating problems.

MLA Kasauli Vinod Sultanpuri also raised the issue of delay in commissioning the Rs 103 crore Giri potable scheme which would cater to the Kasauli area. Superintending Engineer, Jal Shakti Department, Sanjiv Soni informed that work to lay pipes on a 300-m area at Sihardi near Dharampur had been delayed owing to a court case by a private land owner, besides non-completion of work by the power department to supply power at Gaura in Rajgarh area of Sirmaur. Sultanpuri directed the officers to speed up the work and work out alternatives like acquiring land under the Forest Rights Act at Sihardi.

Other issues like stray dog menace and non-initiation of sterilisation at a recently inaugurated facility created at Solan municicpal corporation, absence of an ultrasound machine at Community Health Centre at Dharampur, delay in constructing and repairing school buildings, absence of bus routes in rural areas and issues related to lack of civic amenities figured prominently in the quarterly meeting.

Health and Family Welfare minister DR Shandil presided over the meeting which was attended by officers from various departments.