Himachal Government will constitute a high level committee of divisional commissioners with deputy commissioners of different districts as its members to check the land records of industries and power projects in the State.
Replying to a question by BJP MlA Mahendra Singh, land and Revenue minister Kaul Singh Thakur told the Himachal Assembly that the State Government wants to ascertain the actual situation of land given on lease in the State by successive State Governments.
He informed the House that a notification has been issued to all the deputy commissioners to ascertain the actual situation of land given on lease by the State Governments to the industries and power projects and submit a report.
“State Government has received numerous complaints about encroachments on Government lands by the industries who were given land on lease and of land use change by some of the industries and organisations,” said Thakur.
Giving details of the land given to different organisations, societies, industries and trusts, Thakur said that in many case it has been found that even lease money is also not being paid to the State Government while the
construction work has begun at the site.
Mahendra Singh in a supplementary question asked the minister whether State Government is mulling to take back the encroached land by the industrial houses or penalties will be imposed.
Thakur said that what so ever action law permits will be taken against the organisations who have done land use change and who have encroached lands and assured that penalties will be imposed on those who have not paid lease amount to the State government.
“The committee of divisional commissioners will soon be constituted and will be asked to submit a time bound report which will be tabled in the house during the next session,” said Thakur