7 booked by J&K Vigilance for illegal allotment of JDA land

The Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Organisation has booked seven persons, including an IAS officer and Director of Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), for alleged illegal allotment and grabbing of a prime land of JDA.

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Organisation has booked seven persons, including an IAS officer and Director of Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), for alleged illegal allotment and grabbing of a prime land of Jammu Development Authority (JDA).

The case was registered after an inquiry was conducted into the allegation of illegal allotment of a plot at Sector 1-A Trikuta Nagar in Jammu and grabbing of an additional land, a Vigilance spokesman said here today. Those booked by the State Vigilance Organisation are IAS officer and then DLM JDA (now Secretary Housing and Urban Development department) Satish Nehru, then Vice-Chairman JDA now Director ERA Vinod Kumar Sharma, the then VC JDA (now Rtd) K L Vuthoo, then Secretary JDA (now Rtd) Prith Pal Singh Betab, the Executive Engineer JDA (now Rtd) L K Mengi, then Chief Town Planner (CTP) JDA (now Rtd) Romesh Koul and Vinod Sharma`s wife Mamta Gupta, he said. Investigations conducted by the Vigilance Organisation revealed that in 1980, JDA acquired land from various persons and land owners for developing housing colony at Trikuta Nagar in Jammu. After a government order, it was directed to allot a residential plot to 38 families from whom the land was acquired at Channi Rama against a payment of Rs 3,000 per Kanal as rehabilitation charges. A man named Prem Nath whose land was also taken by JDA approached for allotment of a plot in his favour but the allotment was delayed for unknown reasons. "Former Vice-Chairman JDA Vinod Sharma developed a greed to grab the plot and managed to persuade Prem Nath through one Kewal Krishan to take Rs 3 lakhs from him in lieu of plot of land measuring 5400 sq ft which was to be allotted in his favour," the spokesman said. "A lease deed stands executed between JDA and Prem Nath. However, before execution and registration of lease deed Prem was made to sign power of attorney in which he empowered Vinod Sharma`s wife Mamta Gupta as sole attorney of the plot," the spokesman said. "This Power of attorney was produced and registered before Court of Sub Registrar, City Jammu on the same day on which lease deed was registered. In this way in pursuance of well planned conspiracy the accused grabbed JDA land worth laks of rupees," he added. Enquiry further revealed that after taking illegal possession of the plot, Mamta with the active connivance and help of her husband managed to grab illegally an additional land of 5200 square feet thereby making a total illegal possession of 10600 square feet, the spokesman said. The SVO is likely to summon the top officials in connection with the case for questioning them with regard to the case.